Ashenspire

Ashenspire from Glasgow, UK

ASHENSPIRE debuted in 2017 on Code666 records with Speak Not of the Laudanum Quandary, a critique of British Imperialism. The new album Hostile Architecture is a commentary on the widening of the inconceivably vast wealth gap between capitalists and the working class, and growing alienation between one another. Musically the outfit create alluring and yet disturbing soundscapes which develop as the album progresses. Grounding the mood with intense dissonance and distortion, jazz influences and ethereal violin parts construct a stark contrast. The discomforting chaos emerges through contrapuntal melodies such as those used in "BÉTON BRUT". Manipulating dynamics amid tracks, and throughout Hostile Architecture, enhances the emotional anguish of ASHENSPIRE's powerful message. With an anguished tone, the unsettling vocal quartet in "HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE VISION" diverges significantly from the darker sounds that dominate elsewhere.