Ashen Horde has evolved.
Now independent, the band led by Trevor Portz (guitar/bass/clean vocals, Abhoria, Bite Wound), Robin Stone (drums, Chestcrush, Norse, ex-The Amenta…) and Karl Chamberlain (vocals/lyrics, Moribundus, Necrotic Remains, Putrefier…) released The Harvest, their fifth album, in 2026.
The band plunges us into haunting tones from the very first seconds of the opening track, Autumnal before letting the drums energize the rhythm section, then simply set it ablaze while maintaining the dissonant edge before the first screams kick in. The jerky approach allows for the emergence of intense yet unsettling clean vocals, as well as a long, meticulously crafted instrumental passage leading to the final chorus, followed by Entropy and Ecstasy which proves both more brutal thanks to devastating Old School touches, yet at times softer than the previous track. The contrast is truly striking, particularly on the part of the vocalist, who doesn’t hesitate to step back to let his bandmates develop their complex parts; then Backwards Momentum allows the band to surpass themselves once again in terms of technical prowess, whether in the rhythm section or the piercing harmonics. While most of the track focuses on violence, there’s a catchy yet somewhat unsettling break before it returns to its fierce, driving rhythm, leading into Voids in the Ash, the next track, which slows down and offers a rather heady underlying groove that unleashes waves of raw power at a brisk pace before returning to hypnotic sections. Things pick up speed again with Remnant, the next track, which maintains this approach that’s as energetic as it is strange, shifting from jagged riffs to moments of dissonance where the vocalist lets loose, then A Place in the Rot skillfully blends the two elements for a result that’s intoxicating but quite disorienting at first listen. The vocal alternation is also very well handled, shifting from menacing roars to much softer lyrics, just as on Apparition, a track that is also quite short, pulls no punches, and doesn’t hesitate to string together all its riffs and patterns at a brisk pace, ultimately leading into The Harvest, a rather dark title track that also rivals ingenuity in placing all its parts in a manner that is as violent as it is coherent, without neglecting the oppressive atmosphere until the very last moment.
Although its lineup has undergone major changes, Ashen Horde is more powerful than ever, showcasing complex intensity and unwavering consistency on The Harvest! The band’s diverse influences are perfectly blended, and the album is a true delight.
95/100