From their promo sheet, GOLDEN ASHES is the black chaos of despair and hopelessness calls through the mist. A dreamlike descent into the realm of death. A mystified swansong to the days of hope. A dark return of myths through dying light. Eternity admired through the eyes of the dead. A restorer of all things abandoned by light and life. GOLDEN ASHES is Synth-heavy Dark Droning Black Metal. The keen eared will find all is not as it seems, elements that recall other genres entirely. There is much here for the sonic explorer to enjoy, as generic labels are defiled, incinerated, and their ashes picked over." The album contains eight very long worded tracks.

"The All Consuming Light of Eternal Death" opens the album. Droning is an understatement. Everything is mixed together so it appears as though you are only hearing one note. Even the drums are mixed in with the synths. But upon further listen, you can make out the individual elements. The vocals are constantly snarling at you. Within the void however there is melody. "Sweltering and Swarming Towards Infinity" is similar in scope. The soundscape is a bit different, especially when the drums drop off about a third of the way in. This time the melodies are easier to pick out and it is actually quite pretty, if you can get past the droning synths, which I rather enjoy.

The title track is just a bit faster. The heavy droning is still very present, but again, done with selective melodies. The melodies dance up and down while the vocals rage. It has a somewhat sad disposition if you removed the vocals and droning and can just concentrate on the melodies. "An Abstraction of the Abyss" doesn't really distinguish itself very much from the previous three tracks, and, as often happens with Droning music, can start to get a bit repetitive. "Drifting Slowly through the Portal of Sorrow towards the Void of Death" is the first real break in that droning sound. It has atmosphere as large as the universe. Expansive and limitless, it sounds like radar coming from a star from across the galaxy. Even the subdued vocals mix in well here with this sound.

"Wanderer of the Eternal Forest" is announced with a front heavy sound of darkness and then the drums come in. The heavy droning continues under anguished vocal screams that would wake the dead. The melody built here is beautiful...but you have to listen for it. Towards the end it grows more and more harrowing. "Seven Bodies before I Reach Divinity" starts another break from the heavy droning. Haunting melodies lift off the page while the vocals rage over top. It turns a bit sinister towards the end, with the melody changing and the addition of thunderous drums. "The Charred Gates of Benevolence" opens with a softer drone of sorts. It's all about building the melody in layers around the harsh vocals. The drums drop off at one point and then pick back up...they are difficult to section out at times anyway. But it ends as the journey should, at the gates of benevolence.

This album is really a journey of sorts. The songs follow a somewhat linear pattern, suggesting the journey one takes through life. If you come out the end as benevolent, despite all the evils in the world, you are a good person. The vocals represent all the fears, insecurities and doubts that plague you along your journey, while the music presents moments of bright light to keep you going in the stifling darkness of the world. If you can handle the constant droning, you will hear all of this that I just described, and will come out the other end happy.Purchase Link:

https://auroraborealisrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/gold-are-the-ashes-of-the-restorer