ALBUM REVIEW: Fixation – The Ember, The Ash
Creating a solo project that is shrouded in mystery is always something to draw in an audience. For a musical polymath, who goes only by the name 鬼, THE EMBER, THE ASH has certainly gained the curiosity of those already familiar with their debut release, Consciousness Torn From The Void. Now another glimpse is ready to be unleashed with their second-effort, Fixation.
The artist is someone who isn’t confined to a box, and is happy to draw influence from wherever they may find. From layering audio-textures on top of metalcore and symphonic black metal, Fixation isn’t an album for anyone who likes things to be structured within their genres.
Musically, you have to commend THE EMBER, THE ASH for being able to hone techniques from genres all over the shop and jigsaw piece them together. It’s not an easy feat to go from technical riffs into symphonic, bleak prog-fuelled black metal, as you can hear on title-track, Fixation. They do it as well as what can possibly be achieved it may appear.
To say it all blends together well would be a short distance from the truth however. Whilst, aforementioned, it isn’t easy to stray from genre-specifics, especially when there’s so many going on, at times it can feel a bit of a blurred line. You go from moments such as in Becoming The Eidolon, where prog meets blackened metalcore in a beautiful fashion, to a blend of prog, black metal, breakdowns, symphonic metal in Celestial Fracture that genuinely just feels all over the place.
This sadly is the feeling throughout the entire album, there’s an uncomfortable feeling of appreciating the work and talents that have gone into crafting what you’re hearing, next to wondering if maybe there’s a little too much going on.
One thing that THE EMBER, THE ASH do keep consistent throughout the album though is the sombre-emotion. The theme of Fixation is the darker side of mental illness, through to suicide ideation. How the artist manages to impose that within the sound throughout all of the chaos is where the strength of the album lies. The accompanying music to its themes certainly fit together effortlessly and in some ways, the jumbled sounds start to make sense, especially on penultimate track, A Growing Emptiness.
Consciousness Torn From The Void closes the album in an expected manner. It’s certainly one of the bleakest tracks on the record, creating a distressing atmosphere. It should also be noted that it’s probably the strongest track on Fixation, how the styles and sounds are fused together alongside the mood is, undeniably clever, and closes the album on a higher note.
Fixation is unfortunately something that came with many expectations and hopes, despite its dark themes, but left with not enough of those fulfilled. The idea of where THE EMBER, THE ASH wanted to go with Fixation is there, and to push that through should not go unnoticed. That being said, at times it felt like the album was clunky and was focusing more on what to do next musically as opposed to letting it flow naturally. It is a shame when you are presented with something that is half-filled with mind-blowing talent, and the other half with a presence that sounds almost forced. It isn’t to say this album will have the same effect on everyone, it feels as though Fixation is entirely down to each individuals’ interpretation. The overall work and effort that has gone into this album though is something that should be recognised and praised.
Rating: 6/10
Fixation is set for release on May 14th via Prosthetic Records.
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