The United Kingdom’s Ingested have absolutely become the dominant kings of their genre, whatever that is now. The (currently) trio have already seized the throat of the jaded carcass of the tattered underground , but this truly is their greatest hour yet. The band’s blood-coated star has risen rapidly in the last few years with the band seemingly more driven than just about anyone in the game. Their records were always good, but they have now applied their fierce focus to making a bonafide future classic. Ashes Lie Still (Metal Blade) is a watershed moment, or sure as hell deserves to be.
Fueled by the loss of guitarist Sean Hynes‘ father near the start of the pandemic, the pain in the material resounds. You can tell Hynes labored over guitar tones and the band feel more inspired and also full of more anguish and intensity than ever. The more profound sense of dynamics is a pro rather than a con in this pursuit of primal expression. Lyn Jeffs, Sean Hynes and Jason Evans sound incredibly united in purpose.
The title track opens with some eerie almost Slipknot-esque melodic guitar and the bewitching vocals of Julia Frau slipping between the heavier elements like a snaking tendril of mist. It is, frankly, seriously captivating and sets the stage for the fact that this album does not do diminishing returns and is high in replay value. Ditto the darkly atmospheric grandeur that opens ‘Sea of Stone’.
Some people will honestly be shit-trolls and only want slam the whole time, but honestly fuck those goons. This is a band on a big label going for it and still keeping it metal as heck. I absolutely salivated over the Call Of The Void EP’s more baleful and foreboding experimental parts and am thrilled to see the band deliver on the promise of those seeds here. If you also don’t feel like ‘From Hollow Words’ delivers more heaviness than a dump-truck full of Crowbar fans, I don’t know what to tell you. It also has some parts that are sure to be crowd participation highlights.
Sticks in the mud often like to resist new elements in things, but that is their loss. For example, if you look at the recent actually compelling Halloween Ends film as the third act of a trilogy dealing with family then community then individual trauma, it is easy to discern a clear narrative that clicks the films together into an intriguing whole about fear itself. Sorry you same olds just wanted another retread of the slash and flee formula. Also, Boy Harsher’s ‘Burn It Down’ was a perfect soundtrack moment. Get with it.
Deathcore breakdowns and stomp but dissonance, brilliant arrangements, incendiary death metal and vocal layering abound on Ashes Lie Still. There isn’t a track that doesn’t connect, and hard. While Job For A Cowboy‘s post-metal turn on the excellent Sun Eater record was foolishly controversial, Ingested have not lost their former elements but rather enhanced them with more nuance. As physical as this album is you don’t get monotony fatigue and tune out.
‘Shadows In Time ‘ has a chorus which has some amazing lead work, while ‘You’ll Never Learn ‘ gives Cannibal a run for their money in sheer onslaught paired with technical display. Every song has the potential to get stuck in your head rather than stick in your craw. It hasn’t gone as rock influenced as Gojira‘s Magma (which I also love) and still punches your house down with ease. In fact, the band sounds absolutely alive with purpose.
You wanna know what will “save” metal? Albums as genuine as this.
Buy the album here: https://www.metalblade.com/ingested/
9 / 10
MORGAN Y. EVANS