ALBUM REVIEW: The Sharp Blade of Integrity – Ash Return

There is one thing the world can genuinely never have too much of, and that is positivity. And when you can tack that positivity onto a bounding hardcore record then the whole project becomes immediately more appealing as well, and thankfully there is also no shortage of new hardcore bands having emerged over the past few years. From the ashes of European hardcore legends MIOZAN has risen ASH RETURN, and with them they’re bringing a healthy dose of classic hardcore fodder with an equal amount of PMA for their debut record The Sharp Blade of Integrity. With a pedigree any hardcore band would pine for, ASH RETURN enter back into an international scene arguably better than it’s ever been, but how does their old school vibe stand up with the contemporaries of today? 

Let us not mince any words, if you were a fan of last year’s excellent AGNOSTIC FRONT record, Get Loud!, then you should be able to find lots to enjoy with ASH RETURN. Their energy is sky high and the d-beat drums are relentless and consistent, keeping the fires in the engine room stoked for the full 30 minute run time. From the explosive openers of One and Drown In Tears the record hits 100mph and by and large never really lets the momentum drop for a second. The songs feel well crafted and rely on massive choruses and up beat lead guitar lines to really sink into the listeners memory. 

FTW and Delete both pack the biggest choruses of the whole record, and they’re easy to picture going down an absolute storm when gigs are back to being a thing we can all enjoy. The attitude is one firmly centred around the glass-half-full type of mindset and it really adds a bright colour to the record as a whole that helps set The Sharp Blade of Integrity apart from the rest of the booming hardcore scene. And it is around standing out amongst the rest that ASH RETURN unfortunately start to hit shaky ground. 

Whilst this is a well produced record that still sounds excellent, there is a lack of oomph across a lot of this record. Don’t Fear the Flame is easily the heftiest slice of the entire record, and even then it doesn’t come close to really holding a flame to the density of sound that the rest of the world are putting out. ASH RETURN sound flat and lack real depth to their sound, and it results in a lot of their debut sounding pretty weak as a result. The drums are constantly the driving force, and beg for the guitars and bass to bite as hard to build upon the solid foundations but there is nothing that really grabs throughout The Sharp Blade of Integrity. 

Despite a lack of massive, impactful moments across The Sharp Blade of Integrity, ASH RETURN deliver a tight and relentless record that has stamina to spare. The record is kicked into high gear and revs for its entire run time, delivering emotive and emphatically positive messages that stir the emotions and imbue the listeners with that old school hardcore energy. ASH RETURN at the very least prove that good song writing and impassioned deliveries can result in the same success, even if it is a little muzzled. 

Rating; 7/10

The Sharp Blade of Integrity is out now via Swell Creek Records.

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