ASIRA is a Blackened Progressive Metal band hailing from the UK. A trio, they made the following comments on this new album: Created slowly and deliberately, "As Ink in Water" is the result of eight years of emotional and musical exploration. Much of it was recorded at ELM Studios, the personal studio of guitarist Martin Williams, giving the band complete creative freedom to shape each detail with care. The result is a record that fuses the intensity of black metal with the expansiveness of progressive rock, the textures of shoegaze, the resonance of choral music, and the deep soul of the blues. Produced with clarity and warmth, the album shifts seamlessly between dynamic contrasts and unpredictable darker structures, offering listeners a sound that is both challenging and deeply rewarding."

The album has seven songs, and "Silence of Mind" is first. A weighted electronic beat combines with smooth guitar tones and vocals at first, followed by meaty bass notes. Next, in comes the thick Black Metal guitars and darkness but there are also Progressive leanings. Harsh vocals follow, and even some keyboards. The band uses every technique in their arsenal. Yet, the song has structure and synergy. "Clarity" was the first single released ahead of the album, and it brings nostalgia for me. The tones are so warm, inviting, and pretty, yet there is a solemn edge to them. They hold this feeling through both the clean and distorted guitars. "Descent" is a short segue that moves beneath the surface, preparing the listener for what is next, and

"Cauterise" answers that call. Heavy, hardened, and thick guitar tones come out of the gates, with traditional Black Metal vocals, as the band reminds you of their darker side. I love the animated bass work, and they show restraint not letting the creature show its entire hideous face. "I have watched the wolves blame sheep…with a silence I will not keep" he declares defiantly. "In Sunrise" begins the warm and charming tones that you might expect from a glorious sunrise, and once again, Alex's animated bass notes are excellent. The harsh vocals and thicker Black Metal sound is just on the horizon however, and it comes due. From there, clean and harsh tones dance together, in a room with proggy lighting. "Ascent" is the second short segue song, and it brings a measure of light to the album.

"Still" is the final offering, and the piano notes in the beginning are just beautiful. The sound develops slowly with layers, almost like a dormant flower that awakes with the warmth of spring. There is a dark and solemn quality to this song that is just so charming…so beguiling…in a way that is hard to describe. This album is a storm forged from countless currents of Metal, pulling from blackened ferocity, progressive intricacy, and melodic catharsis. Rather than sounding like a disjointed patchwork, the band bends these influences into a fluid, purposeful whole. It's a journey where every shade of Metal collides and coexists. The result is both cathartic and challenging, an album that reminds us why Metal's endless diversity is its greatest strength.