I had an experience right after the holidays that made me realize what a strange thing the passage of time really is. You live these chunks of years, grow, change, hopefully become a better version of yourself, and you don’t even realize. It also puts the future in more focus that the time from here to the end isn’t necessarily happening in a flash.

Listening to “Subglacial,” the fifth record from Ashbringer, made me think that. It felt like it was just yesterday their debut “Vacant” arrived, but in reality, it’s only been a decade. The six tracks on this album are noticeably less polished and also brimming with such primal emotion that it’s impossible to shake. The band—vocalist/guitarist/synth player Nick Stanger, guitarist/synth player/vocalist Jackson Catton, bassist Nathan Wallestad, drummer Andy Meyer—sounds like their most genuine version, the realization of a  journey they have been on that hits with atomic impact. That time has been well spent. By the way, this record is being released by Bolverk Collective, a label run by some of the folks from Brimming Horn Meadery in Milton, Del., a pretty great place you could drive by and miss.

“My Flesh Shows Its Weakness” opens with keys stretching, conjuring atmosphere before the stormfront explodes, riffs pounding as howls lash. Speed jets as the energy is daring and darting, guitars layering sheets of ice, and a rawness digging into your ribs, Stanger wailing, “Longing for release, my mind holds on, my flesh gives in.” “Waning Conviction” brings guitar ache and flexible howls, a rustic thread moving through the song’s heart, acoustics washing in before the shots echo. The tempo blisters as the wails peel back flesh, the guitars explore the skies, and colors explode in unpredictable forms. The title track opens with acoustics breezing, tranquil waters flowing as drums tap, stirring open and pouring lava. Fluid leads and furious cries unite, ripping with an acidic attack, later unloading steamy leads that leave thick condensation. The playing surges as the vocals wrench, the melodies flood, and final gusts lead to a woody ambiance.

“Fleeing into Portals” is moody and warm, organs gushing, guitars bubbling to the surface as the heat cracks through the crust. The emotion is thick enough to cut, sorrow floods the senses, and drums blister, the vocals echoing in the atmosphere, the intensity jolting before subsiding. “Send Him to the Lake” starts with bleary guitars before destroying, anger cresting, the vocals gutting as the guitars chug harder. The playing is volatile and even leans toward death territory, mashing as the pathway warps, icy danger piercing and ushering in a sense of psychedelics. Chaos erodes as the screams lash, the forceful recitation of the title pounds away, and everything comes to a smashing end. “Vessels” ends the record, sprawling and spreading delirium, a melodic, progressive push making heads spin. “I am not just my trauma, I am not just my scars,” Stanger wails, a sentiment that hits home, and that leads to a tidal wave of emotion, downright Rush-like basslines that thrill, and a fiery pulse at the end.

“Subglacial” sounds like a record that has Ashbringer’s time as a band imprinted in it deeply. The roots of their atmospheric black metal to the experimentation the last few years have congealed here, its raw sound also a testament to their journey. This is both a return to form and a refusal to adhere to any rules. As a result, it’s one of the more exciting Ashbringer releases in total, and it’s a bright light in the dark.

For more on the band, go here: https://ashbringermusic.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.bolverkcollective.com/ashbringer

For more on the label, go here: https://www.bolverkcollective.com/bolverk-records