Album/EP

Ingested - Ashes Lie Still (Album Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Nov 2, 2022

7 min read

Ingested - Ashes Lie Still
Released: November 4th 2022

Lineup:

Lyn Jeffs // Drums
Sean Hynes // Guitars/Backing Vocals
Jay Evans // Vocals

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Starting life as a straight-ahead slam/brutal death metal group, Manchester, UK’s Ingested have spent the last decade and a half evolving to become a sleek, modern metal machine. Never one’s to rest on their laurels, Ingested have worked especially hard over the last few years, and their 6th full length Ashes Lie Still is their first with the legendary Metal Blade Records.

This, coupled with a recent focus on song structure and melodic elements, means that Ashes Lie Still might be the biggest release of Ingested’s career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jkv_y2-GFQM

The opening title track is strong and powerfully grabbing. It contains prominent melodic influences, with subtle touches of female vocals giving it an almost cinematic quality. Packing the best of both worlds, it's utterly flattening, and darkly melodic with a defined chorus. ‘Shadows In Time’ is super solid as well, especially thanks to the particularly thunderous outro. ‘You’ll Never Learn’ is a more meat and potatoes death metal song, with it’s blackened Behemoth-style bridge adding a nice dynamic change. It returns to familiar territory with it’s classic Ingested slam.

With Ashes Lie Still their first effort recorded as a trio, guitarist Sean Hynes carries all guitar work, while the bass is held down by Montreal-based Dom Grimard. Grimard also handles co-engineering duties, with fellow Montrealer Christian Donaldson serving up another massive, crisp sounding mix. Extra props must be given to the immense talents of drummer Lyn Jeffs, and producer Nico Beninato, capturing some truly gigantic drum tones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zCnktSsorc

The single ‘Tides of Glass’ introduces even more ethereal elements, while the neck-wrecking ‘From Hollow Words’ has something of a Slipknot feel - it’s a certified live banger for sure. It heavily features Aborted frontman Sven De Caluwe, who’s wide range of screams, roars and yells are always welcome. Plus the ending section, with a slight Meshuggah/horror movie vibe, is perhaps Ashes Lie Still’s best breakdown. ‘Sea of Stone’ is the LP’s first somewhat underwhelming moment, however, it’s cool ride-cymbal-led outro bumps it up a notch. The album’s second high profile guest is Trivium’s Matt Heafy. He lends his harsh scream to ‘All I’ve Lost’, another track both furious and cinematic, but a little on the weaker side. Heafy’s parts are solid - but are they essential? It’s really up to the individual to decide.

‘With Broken Wings’ is a knuckle-dragging, modern metalcore beating. A nice break from the more experimental leaning tunes that precede it, Ashes Lie Still may have benefitted from a couple more ragers like this. ‘Scratch The Vein’ is a big, mono-paced monolith that closes the record. Ingested have long been aware of the finishing on a strong note, and Ashes Lie Still’s finale is one of it’s most titanic moments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k01uLrSvVzQ

With the backing of the juggernaut that is Metal Blade, Ashes Lie Still has all the tools to be Ingested’s breakthrough album. It’s an LP that shows how much the now-trio has grown and matured, and that they’re more than willing to take risks and expand their sound. Has it cost them their ultra-heavy aspects? There are still crushing moments, but there are also passages that delve into the melodic, ethereal and cinematic. Frankly speaking, Ashes Lie Still though not their finest release (that honour still belongs to 2018’s The Level Above Human) is a powerhouse collection of modern death metal.

Hopefully it will act for many as an amazing introduction to one of the best and hardest working extreme metal bands currently walking the planet.