Enthroned in a So-Called Heaven

Ashlar are one of about ten million Flanders-based metalcore bands that flooded the European hardcore scene in the late 90s (for a brief period). These guys belonged to the second or third tier of their scene, below the better known bands like Congress, Liar and Deformity. As expected, their music has not aged as well as the best recordings by those bands (e.g., “The Other Cheek”, “Invictus”), but it is still a fun listen if you remember the vibe of this scene.

Musically, these guys sit somewhere between the chunky metalcore of Kindred and the more extreme style of Deformity (bordering on death metal at times). The songs on this EP are full of solid riffs with some predictable Slayer-ish widdles after each chug. There is some blasting, such as in the opener “An Illusion To Rebuild”. There are some slower, moshier parts that are designed for the dancefloor (such as the beginning of “Hostility”). Occasionally they slow it down to a crawl with some quieter moments that sound like Integrity’s “Jagged Visions of My True Destiny" (only not as good, of course).

The musicianship and production are rough but serviceable. The guitar tone is thin but the drums have plenty of snap to them. The guitarist plays a couple of solos. The drumming is not particularly interesting, placing a limitation on how good this record can get (a common limitation with these kinds of metalcore bands). The vocalist has a screaming, raspy style that sounds like Kindred and Liar; intelligible enough for those who bought the record to learn a few words and chant along. There are some mandatory demonic film samples that allude to the horrors of the modern world.

This record is predictable but fun and enjoyable. It may sound like it was written to a formula, but it belongs alongside similar material by other second-tier Belgian bands (Sektor, Vitality, Legion, etc). Ashlar were never going to move mountains with their music but they sound honest and vibrant. I am sure I would have enjoyed watching these guys live in some small local venue if I’d had the chance at the time. I have a higher tolerance for average hardcore than I do for average metal, particularly in the live environment.