City of Ashes started out as an acoustic band two years ago. The acoustic element is evident on this short 4 track EP from the Sussex-based quintet, but there’s plenty more to it than that.
There’s no obvious template really. It could be said that the style inclines towards the Rock end of Metal, but rules don’t really apply. The opener “The Art of Opacity” sounds as if Hawkwind are warming up before heading off into a very accessible rock number with an old-fashioned sounding guitar lead and pretensions to Hardcore. The lyrics are unspeakably dark and don’t clear much up – the art of opacity, indeed. Although stylistically each track is different, it’s evident that the band is using its resources and imagination to create a multi-coloured structure and variation in pace while respecting the need for fluidity within a song. The production isn’t always top quality on this EP, as you would expect from a self-release on a limited budget, and the vocal mix in particular needs beefing up in places but the potential is there for something massive. The production is less of a problem on “In the Cold Light of Day…” which is predominantly acoustic. As a song it is classic, the melody is nice and again the lyrics are shadowy. I particularly liked the unusual insertion of a short Isis-style Post Rock guitar section. This interlude was too short to envelop the listener into eternal darkness but it was interesting and a welcome surprise – maybe there’s something there for the future. The stylistic switch gets turned again with “Between a Rock and her Razor”, a bouncy Indie number. The beat is great and the pithy lyrics cover the subject of emotional conflict and rising above it. To finish there’s another acoustic track “Butterflies and Barflies”. It’s straighter than the other tracks, being a simple mix of an acoustic rhythm and vocal energy.
I saw City of Ashes live recently and liked their enthusiasm and variety. “When Black Fuels Blood” gives a good taste of what the band is like. As they progress, they will need to sort out the musical direction they’re going in, but I hope and expect they will continue to infuse their work with natural energy and interesting ideas. For now, this will do very nicely.
http://www.myspace.com/ashesofthecity
