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Tristania > Ashes > Reviews
Tristania - Ashes

people seriously listen to this - 27%

Noktorn, June 2nd, 2011

It really amazes me that so many people can listen to albums like this which litter Steamhammer's catalog like so many McDonald's bags on the side of a highway with a straight face. 'Ashes' is another in a long line of albums released by gothic metal bands in an invariable turn towards bland, lame goth rock, and Tristania doesn't fair any better than bands like Moonspell or Nightfall do. 'Ashes' is for some reason respected by the metal scene for reasons I can't fully comprehend, but I'm here to set the record straight: this is as boring, poppy, and listless as goth rock gets, and the metal scene as a whole should really stop supporting music like this.

Look, I don't think that goth rock is necessarily bad by virtue of being goth rock- though it really seems to help a lot of bands along the way to suck. It's just that metal bands turning goth rock always do it in such a fucking boring, turgid manner. You'd think that a band with a pedigree in heavy metal would make burly, riffy, intricate goth rock, but apparently just the opposite is true- instead of maintaining the interesting symphonic elements and powerful melodies of their earlier work, Tristania instead go for limp-wristed chug riffs and lilting synths in favor of anything with ambition or power. Similar to Lacuna Coil's disastrous 'Karmacode', this album is really just nu-metal in goth rock drag. Older Tristania is goth metal I can get behind: the guitars are actually riffing, the vocals are a good mixture of clean and harsh, and the atmosphere, while still somewhat cheesy, is enthralling. 'Ashes' has none of this.

It feels to me as though this album is really trying to maintain all the superficial aspects of heavy metal while really just playing the most boring goth rock imaginable. Case in point: the harsh vocals. What's the point of them, exactly? None of the material on 'Ashes' is intense or heavy enough to match them, so they just end up sounding incongruous and thrown in at the last moment because the band remembered what sort of crowd they had before. The same goes for any of the more overtly aggressive elements: the double bass which pops up intermittently, the more aggressive, riffy passages, even the darker synth parts. All of those elements are so infrequent and so poorly applied that they just end up pointless in the greater context of the songs. What's the point of this? To convince metalheads to listen to what's otherwise bland goth rock? Apparently it's worked for a lot of people, but not for me.

Gothic music is a style which always rends to hamstring itself with an overly restrictive view of its own atmosphere. Older goth groups are (as usual for any style of music) much more open to experimentation and unusual elements because the standards of the style weren't as codified. Tristania, though, in 2005, was working in the era of Evanescence and Within Temptation, where the tropes of pop-cum-goth rock are so codified they're practically law. And it's in this restriction that Tristania fails miserably. They're simply not talented enough to make good pop-rock songs, and apparently unwilling to really harness the intensity of their early work, leaving them high and dry and without any real dimension of their own. You can hear it in the songs, which wander around listlessly, swathed in synths, female vocals, and acoustic guitars, layered to death but saying nothing.

Apparently a lot of people like this, so I won't be able to convince them otherwise, but please, for the sake of the metal scene, quit supporting bands who do stuff like this. Hell, for the sake of the GOTH ROCK scene, quit supporting bands who do this! All that Tristania does on 'Ashes' is make a mockery of two genres at once, which for some may be an accomplishment, but I personally don't want much to do with.

Brilliance! - 100%

grimdoom, July 28th, 2008

Tristania has been a different animal since their humble Doomdeath beginnings their current bid for Gothic Metal supremacy. On this release we see them reinvent themselves shaking off the shell of predictability and creating something truly unique and different.

The production is alright but could've been better. The guitars are moodier than they've ever been in this band before. Going from distorted to clean to acoustic seamlessly while mixing open chord to palm muting techniques effortlessly. As per usual there are no solos and a handful of leads. The vibe they create is very sad and lonely. The guitars aren't that heavy either, but they do have their moments. They are the atmosphere of this album.

The bass doesn't do anything revolutionary here aside from adding to the heaviness when it’s present. The drums are in the same boat; however they do add some interesting beats here and there. The keyboards don't add much in the way of atmosphere but they work when used.

The vocals are what we've come to expect with perhaps a few more clean male parts. The other male vocals are in a Blackish rasp. The female vocals are, as always, flawless as Vibeke effortlessly sooths and seduces the listener with her outstanding commanding vocal presence. The lyrics are of love and loss, and apparently the culmination of a breakup between two band members.

There is a very laid back approach to the song writing here. You can hear the heart break and turmoil of the two former lovers falling apart at the seams. The title is in homage to what’s left after a heated romance that has burned out. This was probably a difficult album to make given the probable intensity of the relationship both private and professional.

The songs have a strange yet beautiful atmosphere. The song structures are very original and only enhanced by Vibeke's hauntingly beautiful voice. There is a constant sorrow that drifts from song to song only to be replaced by a cautious rage or a bleak calm, as if lulling the listener into a false sense of security. This album isn't layered considering all that’s going on that’s a feat in and of itself. This is Tristania at their most stripped down and vulnerable, there is a lot of honesty on display here.

This is possibly the bands best album as well as it resurrects some of their some slower Doomed past while combining it with their newer sound. Most of the songs are fairly slow with a few more moderately paced entries. This is an album that is nothing short of epic, as with very little exception, all the songs can stand on their own. You can't help but listen to the whole thing from start to finish. It’s as though you get sucked into a swirling torrent of abysmal feelings and memories mixed with anxiety and the fear and dread of certain loss. This is by far one of the best albums of the decade.

Their Least is Better Than Most - 80%

Sue, January 29th, 2008

After the grand masterpiece of all music that was World of Glass I could hardly expect another album like it, but all the same Ashes marked a shift in Tristania's sound and let me down. That said it's stil one of the best albums ever.

No more choruses, no more wild insane songs like Lost or epic master works like Wormwood. The great voice of Vibeke Stene is more subtly used and sometimes lost in the layers and layers of sound that echo Rick Rubin or Katatonia. It is not what I love Tristania for but if it is a step down, it is only a small step. Equilibrium and the other even numbered tracks all share a quality above most music of the era. There is subtlety here, intellegence and power but also restraint. The (comparatively) low 80% rating is merely my own distaste for subtelty from a band who has unsubtly proven capable of music so powerfull it could move continents.

But it's cool, it's clever, and it hasn't lost all semblence of Tristanias old work. It is the least of their work but their least is better than most. And of course, if you like the subtle death metal sound of Katatonia and perhaps a dash of Opeth catchless lullaby, this is a high quality album worth a listen or ten. I reccomend it with the caveat that if you want World of Glass or Beyond the Veil, you will not find more of the same here- you will find quality and beauty, but you will not find the original Tristania. Oh, and you'll find some really good album art. Very gray.

Dull but not Without Merit - 60%

EpicaNightfall, February 22nd, 2007

After near perfecting symphonic styled gothic metal, Tristania try to conquer a different approach, and as far from Veland's current direction as they can go. Opposite to their original songwriter's bombastic and increasingly accessible style in Sirenia Tristania head down a subtle, dark and doomy path. Gone are the choirs and majestic keyboards, gone is the soaring semi-operatic singing and vicious vocal interplay between the singers.

The clean male vocals take lead here, increasing the subtle Goth rock/doom feel and they are certainly good, perhaps the highlight of the music. Vikbeke's voice is slightly lower and weaker than before but still shines compared to most of the opposition. The growls are less prevalent than before, they're far from bad but fail to have a huge impact. The guitar has a pleasant tone and feel but is nothing to write home about, and the rhythm section has little opportunity to impress.

The highlight of the album is the opener Libre, a delightfully evil and disturbing song, easily the heaviest on the album, about hatred and its effect on humanity, the lyrics are certainly worth a read. The rest of the CD slowly dwindles into mediocrity, rarely offering anything that will be remembered by the end of the album. Though this is by no means a terrible album this style of music is not Tristania's forte and there are other who do it better and other styles Tristania have done better.

Fans of more subtle Goth rock/doom metal crossover bands such as Katatonia may find this a worthy purchase, but for a fan of majestic epic gothic metal, this should be the last Tristania release to buy.

Another masterpiece from Tristania - 100%

TommyA, January 25th, 2007

After listening to "Ashes" for the first time, I couldn't stand it. In fact, before I completely re-wrote this review, I had given it a rating of 15. However, I listened to it a couple of more times and I realized that it's just as perfect as "World of Glass". It’s an amazing album containing great vocals, great music and an overall great production. It also contains a dark, gloomy atmosphere, just like every gothic metal album should have.

"Ashes", like any other Tristania album, contains three vocalists: a harsh male vocalist (Kjetil Ingebrethsen), a clean male vocalist (Østen Bergøy) and a female vocalist (Vibeke Stene). However, Vibeke doesn't appear as often as she does on "World of Glass. In fact, there are 2 tracks in which Vibeke's vocals are non-existent ("The Wretched" and "Circus"). Instead, "Ashes" uses more harsh vocals and clean male vocals. Before, I viewed that as a big downside, but now I don't mind the lack of Vibeke, because the other vocalists are as stunning as she is. However, there is a track where Vibeke is the only singer; "Cure" (in which she sounds incredible).

"Ashes" is clearly the heaviest Tristania album to date. Cutting back from the frequent use of keyboards and making more use of guitars (acoustic included). It also lacks choirs and operatic vocals from Vibeke Stene. This, however, isn't bad. All tracks still contain that Tristania touch that none of their albums lack. However, it might take a few more listens to be able to tolerate.

As for highlights, there are none because there are no songs which are superior to others. Obviously, there are some songs which one could consider as his/her personal favorites. Mine are "Libre", "Shadowman", "The Gate" and "Endogenisis". "Shadowman" is clearly the best song of the album. It's an awesome duet between Vibeke and Østen. It contains incredible vocal contrast, along with haunting gothic lyrics. The best part of the song is approximately after the fifth minute (you'll find out why).

As you probably know, there are a lot of versions of this album. There are some which have 7 songs, some which have 8 and some which have 9. Personally, I wouldn't suggest the version with "Bird". However, the bad thing is that there is no version which contains "The Gate" only. It's not that "Bird" is weak (it's as perfect as the others), but "Endogenisis" should be the last track. It's the climax of the album and ends the way an ending track should. "Bird", on the other hand, shouldn't be at the end. It's not as good an ending as "Endogenisis". However, it's still as great as all the other tracks on the album.

"Ashes" is undoubtedly the least accessible album Tristania have released. As you can see, I went from hating it, to thinking it's perfect. I would suggest "Ashes" as your last Tristania album, but it's still as perfect as "World of Glass". Seriously, there's no flaw in this album.

In conclusion, "Ashes" may not be as full of vocals, violins and choirs as "World of Glass", however, the band still delivered the same great deal of emotional music as before. It’s simply an astonishing piece of work.

Tristania rising once again!!! - 90%

WitheringToSerenity, December 14th, 2005

Through all the skepticism and turmoil that seems apparent in Gothic Metal these days, Tristania manages to be one of the few bands that strives on writing creative, interesting and sincere dark music without comprimising their work into another seemingly Evanescence inspired nu riff drivel album. This time around with an astounding seven members. Clean deep well accented male vocals, serene female vocals, the beast growler, two guitarists, synth and of course the rhythm section. Ashes is described as a more organic stripped down yet still atmospherically inclined album not as bombast as Beyond The Veil or gothic/doom underproduced as Widows Weeds.

I can understand the original backlash because this album is far different than anything they have ever released before. Einar Moen's synth/piano work that practically made Widows Weeds and a large part of Beyond The Veil is almost non-existant. Atmospheric layered guitars(both electric and acoustic) are at the forefront of the sound as well as an increase of clean male vocal duties by Osten which are as good as ever. Vibeke Stene's toned down enchanting vocals fit well in the context of the album, I am going to drop a few points because her vocals fail in being as powerful and surreal as previous efforts. There are a few very well placed cello parts that really lift this album from being deprived of much of their symphonic presence.

Where World of Glass failed, this album has succeeded in creating an album that could easily be held in the same regard as their incredible first two full length albums. Could easily contend as one of the top 10 albums this year and easily top amongst gothic metal albums. Most diverse Tristania album thus far and very worthwhile if you truly appreciate its metallic beauty. Worth a listen and a must for anyone even remotely intrigued by half of this review.

Favorite tracks : Libre, Equilibrium, Shadowman

Walking the line between pretention and awesome. - 85%

tomservo, October 1st, 2005

Gothic Metal generally walks a fine line. This line is somewhere between being much too pretentious to be taken seriously, or sounding way too much like Evanesence which is not Goth Metal at all.

Few bands are able to pull this off successfully, however Tristania is one of them.

Ashes moves into a new era of Tristania, and while lead musician Morton Veland has been gone for two full albums now, Ashes proves that the band can carry on and do quite well for themselves. While Morton has delved much into his own project, Sirenia, Tristania has recruited a few new members, and with that adopted a style that has somewhat evolved even more than I thought they could when I first heard "Beyond the Veil".

While I fully believe "Beyond the Veil" is still one of the best Gothic Metal albums of all time, Ashes is not close behind, and this is for many reasons. While Ashes doesn't feel like a concept album, it still has a very consistent atmosphere which great credit goes to subtle vocal elements from their three vocalists, and some very adept keyboard work. Each song has it's own unique sound and progression to it, and while the album keeps it's aforementioned consistent atmosphere, each song brings in it's own element that can keep a listener guessing until the end.

The female vocals have changed a bit from being somewhat of an Operatic style to somewhat more of a lead vocalist. This doesn't count out both male vocalists, one for the harsh screams and growls and the other for the clean chants and harmonies. The harsh male vocals sound extremely similar to Morton Veland's styling in earlier Tristania work, however having a bit of it's own flavor teetering on the bring of a Death Metal style. The clean male vocalist is definitely a highlight for me where his voice is deep and at times even sounds something like a cello. This especially brings in some wonderful sounds namely on the track "Shadowman" which at times I find myself listening to on repeat for an extended period of time.

Shadowman, for me, is a highlight of the album, starting slow, but collapsing on the listener with a nice crescendo towards the end. The crescendo is tributed both to the music, but also the lyrics or the 'story' of the song is very well done and something that I found quite pleasing to read.

Another song, Endogenisis, has a bit more of a progressive format building up the first third of the song before slowing down again. This then begins the ultimate crescendo of the track, which with the keyboards, has a distinct Type O Negative feel. Very dark, very drab, but never over pretentious to the point where I'm rolling my eyes and looking for the 'seek track' button.

This album is very engaging and I'm damn near convinced that it's Tristania's best work. After hearing the previous album, "World of Glass", I was fairly sad that one of my favorite Goth metal bands was losing a huge dimension of their song writing by Morton Veland leaving. However, they've definitely redeemed themselves in my eyes with "Ashes". After it being out for almost a year, and still heavy in my rotation, I can only look forward eagerly to Tristania's next work and hope that they are still able to walk that fine line that so few Gothic Metal bands are able to do.

More than standard gothic - 90%

Orangestar88, June 3rd, 2005

Well well, after almost four years of waiting there’s a new Tristania release. And I was disappointed, very disappointed when I first heard the cd. What, in the name of the gods, happened to the wonderful gothic band who made killers like Beyond The Veil? No choirs anymore, no bombastic sound. The new grunter, Kjetil Ingebrethsen didn’t grunt as well as Veland or Thorsen, but that was to forgive. The opener Libre was a very direct en good song, but after that the whole album had such a naked sound, Tristania was lost?

No they weren’t. The new album might be the most complex one of all. What a time it took (and will take?) to discover everything on this album, to appreciate it, I can nothing but conclude that Tristania is totally back. Although I hear a lot of reviewers say this is the most direct Tristania album, I might say it is the least direct Tristania album. In the beginning it was all like “What the hell were they thinking?”, but after a lot of spins it is more like “This is totally awesome”.

Opening song Libre is the most direct song of all. It starts al heavy with Kjetil’s grunts, after a while Vibeke starts singing in a more polite way. Also singer Osten (who now finally is an official member of the band) is to hear in this song, he sort of speaks a few sentences. He doesn’t really sing. Although, this song is a good opener, it won’t scare new listeners off because of the complexity.
Equilibrium then, is a quiet, ballad like song, with an acoustic guitar. It’s a duet between Vibeke and Osten. Beautiful ballad, nice lyrics, very good song.
The third song is The Wretched, this is the most complex song of the album. It starts with an instrumental part with a big role for the drums, after that the grunts come in. Later there also is singing from all the three vocalists, the only parts where Vibeke is to hear, so Vibeke fans can’t be that happy with this song.
But they can with The Cure, because this is also a bit of an Equilibrium-like song with only Vibeke on vocals, although live Osten also sings along. Good song, but it isn’t one of the better ones.
Circus then is a more heavy song with big roles for Kjetil and Osten. Kjetil growls kind of aggressive and Osten sings very slow and polite. Nice contrast, which makes it one of the better songs on the album.
Shadowman is a duet between Osten and Vibeke, about the dark side of mankind. Cello and piano are adding an extra dimension to the song, which in the beginning isn’t very noticeable. But after you give the album a couple of more spins it becomes a true top song, my personal favourite.
The Gate is the bonustrack which not everybody will have. It starts with a slow, beautiful piano part and after a while you get blown out of your room when Kjetil starts growling and all the instruments fall in. Nice song!
Endogenesis is an absolute highlight. It’s a bit of progressive and technically the most difficult song on the album. There’s a mix between slow acoustic passages and heavy passages, Kjetil who growls aggressive and the slow singing of Vibeke and Osten. There’s a bit of melancholic guitar sound which you won’t get out of your head. Wonderful song!
Bird is the last song on the album, which sort of makes all the Tristania elements pass through your room one last time. Aggressive and more slowly parts, growls and clean vocals, it’s all featured in this song.

Well, there’s no doubt that fans of gothic metal won’t waste their money on Ashes. But also fans of other metal subgenres would do their selves a favour by checking this one out. This album brings more than standard gothic metal. So what are you waiting for there? Go buy this album! (Killer songs: Circus, Shadowman & Endogenesis, but they all are splendid!)

TRISTANIA 'Ashes' - 80%

HarleyAtMetalReview, January 18th, 2005

When the multifaceted Morten Veland resigned his position as chief composer in the widely acclaimed Norwegian goth outfit Tristania to focus all of his energy into his new brainchild Sirenia, the remaining members were at an utter loss on a creative level. While Morten's final album with the band (1999's Beyond The Veil) was sheer masterpiece through and through, the effort that followed (2001's World Of Glass) was a shattered representation of a band once great. The album's missing link was more than apparent and overall it was largely disappointing. After a short period, Veland unveiled the phenomenal genesis of Sirenia titled At Sixes And Sevens, which many consider to be on par with the last release he forged with his former bandmates. Tristania began to slowly sink into mediocrity, but Morten and company stepped into the spotlight and truly shined.

As the Tristania we knew went up in flames on World Of Glass, we now find ourselves sifting through Ashes. Four years in the making, their 2005 outing poses more as a rushed attempt at regaining lost notoriety than an album that captures the essence of what initially made this band so appealing. While Ashes is ultimately a step forward in many respects, the record fails where it is needed most, in the songwriting department. The songs offered are decent at best and, for the most part, lack their own definition and identity. Few of them are genuinely cohesive or memorable.

With some of the more customary Tristania characteristics present, "Endogenesis" and "Equilibrium" are the two standout tracks on Ashes. Acoustic atmospheres that are topped with the sultry vocals of Vibeke Stene are backed by violins, cellos, and synthesizers and bleed brilliantly into heavy guitars and harsh male vocals that even surpass those of Veland. Sadly, Stene is not as prevalent on this disc as she has been in the past. At times taking a backseat to the varied male vocals, her voice acts more or less as an accent to the music rather than a feature.

In many aspects, the newly evolved Tristania sound is somewhere between Opeth and Nightwish with a touch of latter-day Katatonia and Agalloch thrown into the mix. The musical aim in '05 appears to be centered around melodic moods in the songs rather than technicality in the musicianship. There aren't any overly flashy riffs or drumwork presented. The band takes on a less is more mentality on this record, but with a sleek production that makes for an easy listen, Ashes will be accepted by both the long time fan and the newcomer. Embrace and enjoy!

Tristania - Ashes - 85%

InSilenceEnshrined, December 21st, 2004

The long-awaited follow-up to 2001's World of Glass is here at last. And fans get what they have gotten from Tristania since the beginning, something very different from the last album. One of the first things one will likely notice is the difference in the harsh vocals, this time done by Kjetil Ingebrethsen. However, this works to their advantage as the harsh vocals have improved considerably when compared to those on World of Glass(done by Ronny Thorsen from Trail of Tears.). But that is only one element, let's move on to the complaints - Einar Moen's classical touches seem less involved in the sound of this album than ever as it seems Tristania put most of their musical effort into the guitarwork this time around. Vibeke Stene is pushed into the background for the most part other than a couple of tracks(Equilibrium, Cure) and seems a bit over-shadowed by co-singer Østen Bergøy, I have always felt he was an underrated vocalist in the mix, this doesn't mean I want to hear more of him than Vibeke, though. More cello couldn't have hurt anything either as there was alot of talk about it before the release. All of this doesn't make it a failed effort, though. Far from it in fact...

"Libre" wastes not a second getting started, fans will right away get a taste of Kjetil's ability. One is also likely to notice the nice guitaring at around 2 minutes into this song, something I for one didn't expect to hear from guitarist Anders Høyvik Hidle. They will also probably hear Vibeke Stene's vocals here and hope they shine brighter for the remainder of the album. Well, it will happen in areas but don't get your hopes too high. A great opener although I felt it could have gone on a bit longer as it is only 4:30 and seems to leave you before you can get a true grasp on it.

"Equilibrium" starts with a very nice and sort of surprising acoustic intro, afterwards turning into a more rock-like passage before Vibeke Stene takes it away. If Vibeke is one of your favorite things about Tristania then this will probably be one of your favorite songs on the album. Although one can't help but notice it does almost sound like a "single" of the album with it's rather catchy and very accessible chorus. Will likely appeal to those who enjoyed Tender Trip on Earth from World of Glass.

"The Wretched" is the most aggressive track on the album and one of my personal favorites. Some of the most aggressive riffage you will hear from Tristania (especially post-Veland Tristania) and the vocal contrast is very well-done, yet still, not much Vibeke to speak of - The vocal contrast I speak of is about 95% Kjetil Ingebrethsen and Østen Bergøy. This doesn't hurt the song at all, though, because of how well-written it is.

"Cure" almost sounds like a ballad following up The Wretched. And, surprise surprise! Vibeke is the only singer on this one and Einar Moen finally has a noticeable contribution here with some quite memorable piano melodies sprinkled through-out the track. This song however will not necessarily sound impressive on first listen. It will without a doubt grow, though, with a chorus that could get stuck in your head for hours and an all-around great performance here by Vibeke.

"Circus" picks things back up and also has a decent bit of piano from Einar. Vocally once again we hear mostly Kjetil Ingebrethsen and Østen Bergøy. This never seems to be much of a bother until you listen to an older Tristania album again then you'll realize how much this album misses it, but back on the subject - some more pretty aggressive riffs here on heavier areas of the track. A good listen but I would not consider it to be a highlight.

"Shadowman" starts off with some very nice guitaring complimented by the background synth, followed up by a nice cello bit as well as a sung verse from Vibeke and Østen. Around 3 minutes in you'll also hear a piano passage, Einar's piano/synth work is definitely more noticeable later in the album than the early half. Still does not add up to say, Widow's Weeds of course, not even close but it does get more noticeable as the album progresses. Shadowman is without a doubt a highlight.

"Endogenisis" starts with another acoustic intro. Quickly picking up to heavy riffing and some more harsh vocals from Kjetil. But just as quickly as it picks up it slows down once again into an acoustic/cello passage, then slows even more into a very mellow, moody passage sung by Vibeke Stene. Things slowly pick back up from there, though, with another verse from Vibeke this time joined by Østen. Then picking back up to a heavier passage with Kjetil once again. Closer to the end you will hear the synths coming into play as well. This is perhaps the only track on this album where everything comes together in the way you would expect from Tristania.

Favorite tracks are Libre, The Wretched, Cure and Shadowman.

All in all quite an improvement from 2001's World of Glass, and much better than I had expected. But in a rather strange way without a doubt. This is probably the album by Tristania that new-comers to this style of metal should go for first as it manages to stay quite accessible through-out and is most likely their most accessible work yet. A very good effort from Tristania.