REVIEW: ASHES YOU LEAVE - THE PASSAGE BACK TO LIFE

 

ASHES YOU LEAVE - THE PASSAGE BACK TO LIFE (Morbid Records, 1998):

Track List: 1- Salva Me (Intro), 2- The Passage Back To Life, 3- Thorn the Death Flower, 4- Drowning in my Dreams, 5- Lay Down Alone, 6- White Chains, 7- Tears

This is the debut album from that dark and sad band from Croatia called Ashes You Leave. This is a band whose music is filled with darkness, sadness, anguish and pain. And this is an ideal album to listen in complete darkness or with your eyes shut letting your feelings fly. The first thing that got my attention was Dunja Radetic´s vocals...they are in a mid range and they are deeper than in many of the female vocalist that most bands have. The guitar riffs are slow, extremely heavy and very dark (in the vein of the firstg My Dying Bride for example) and they make a big contrast with the vocals and the violin lines made by Marta Batinic. The keyboards here are not the main element, but they are used instead to make interest arrangements that fit the mood of the tracks. The sound is not very good, specially on drums and guitars but it allows to appreciate the music of the band. Favorite tracks: "The Passage Back To Life", "Thorn The Death Flower" and "Tears". Contact: www.morbidrecords.de.