A decade ago feels like an entirely different life and reality. I don’t need to recount all of the madness that has spread about the earth, and so many of us have suffered great losses and watched numerous tragedies. I remember driving to Wisconsin in 2014 for Gilead Media Fest, and I’m glad that person doesn’t know the hell ahead.
UK black metal power Ahamkara know the personal suffering and pain all too well. The band last issued a record in 2014, the fascinating “The Embers of the Stars.” A year later, vocalist Steve Black died, and guitarist Michael Blenkarn understandably put the band on the shelf. Slowly, through connecting with his wife/synth player Alexandra Blenkarn-Durning and friend and drummer Austin Lunn (Panopiticon), Ahamkara came back to life, and they’re back with their second album “The Harrow of the Lost,” a four-track, 43-minute excursion into examining grief, dealing with a volatile world, and withstanding darkness. The spirit is the same but understandably a bit different, Blenkarn taking over for Black on vocals.
“The Circle of Remembrance” starts with the guitars trickling before the power bursts, glorious melodies flooding, Blenkarn’s inhumane shrieks scarring. The playing batters as the leads gain warmth as they explore mentally, the emotive gasps making your lungs pump oxygen. The color rushes into clean passages, the temps slowly rising, exploding once more as the howls ripple and fade. “Our Scars Shall Abide in the Thaw” begins elegantly, the playing feeling folkish and adventurous, the energy exploding as the shrieks scour during a tornadic blast. The drums blast as melodies torpedo, screams buckling as the guitars come to fuller life, things suddenly halting as water flows. The breath is a brief one as the playing crests, synth waves bathe with psyche energy, everything ending in a perfect state for meditation.
“Channelling Grief” is punchy as it starts, guitars swimming amid the murk, a progressive feel taking over and adding more waves of creativity. The shrieks seethe and scorch, wrenching melodies making muscles feel worn for wear, a speedy and electric environment pushing into desperation. The bass chugs as the guitars race, the vocals strangling, the pressure rising again and unleashing a fury that’s amplified by the drums ravaging over a spirited end. “Ordeal of Ascension” closes the record, pummeling right away as Blenkarn’s screams destroy, the melodies charging as an emotional caterwaul overwhelms. Prog energy returns as the howls menace, guitars cascade, and a hazy cloud cover darkens the ground. The playing whips into a final frenzy, riveting with immersive glory, the synth coating with chill, the winds whipping and freezing over.
Ahamkara’s return from the darkness is a welcome one, and while their absence might have been lengthy, they haven’t lost an ounce of their strength. It’s a much different world than it was 11 years ago when they arrived with their debut, including massive tumult and heartbreak in Blenkarn’s life. “The Harrow of the Lost” is a triumphant return, one that weaves through the darkness and murk, the vibrancy of atmospheric black metal, and into our blackened hearts to find the places where we hurt equally.
For more on the band, go here: https://theembersofthestars.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://shop.bindrunerecordings.com/
For more on the label, go here: https://bindrunerecordings.bandcamp.com/
Meat Mead Metal 