Review by Dom Vigil
There is definitely a reason that Ashestoangels’ new album, Horror Cult is dropping on Halloween. The heavily bass and synth driven goth-punk record is absolutely perfect for this time of the year. Every track on Horror Cult has a dark undertone laced with gorgeous melodic vocals, strong bass lines and punchy choruses.
Horror Cult starts and ends strong with the first track, “Six Six Six” and the final song, “Reason to Stay.” “Six Six Six” starts the album off fast and strong with incredible vocals and a chorus that could kill. Besides the great vocals, the strong bass lines and catchy synth parts definitely carry the song, and within a few more tracks, I’m easily reminded of bands such as AFI and Alkaline Trio – if you’re a fan of either of them, you’ll love Horror Cult. The final track on the record, “Reason To Stay,” is a perfect ending. The guitar and bass are incredibly strong on this track, and the huge, anthematic chorus makes for a song that will leave you hanging, wanting more even after the album ends.
The only gripe I have with Horror Cult is that some tracks seem to sound similar. The vocals have a tendency to stay on the same level throughout the record – while they’re absolutely strong and solid, they never really seem to hit a definitive high point, as I had been hoping for. There are tracks on Horror Cult, though, that do stand out from the pack, such as “Bury Us In Black,” which has an awesome spoken part toward the end of the song that really shakes things up. Other strong tracks on the album include the slower, “The Wake” “Still Dead” and “1708” with gorgeous choruses. “Living Hell,” which features William Control is a nice change as well, as it sounds very different from many other tracks on the album. If there is a high point in the vocals on Horror Cult, it definitely comes on this song.
The great thing about Ashestoangels is that they know what they’re doing. Horror Cult is a product of a band that is comfortable with their sound and know exactly what they want to release. The entire album is solid and works perfectly as a whole, the dark undertones and heavy bass and synth parts really tying everything together nicely. I’d kill to be able to see Ashestoangels perform this live – it’s bound to be a cinematic experience.
Rating: 3.5/5
Listen to “Six Six Six” or “Living Hell”