TUNGSTEN 'Ashes'

TUNGSTEN
Ashes
Perception

This coming fall, Tungsten will hit the road for its “Anthems of Steel Tour.”  Set to kick off Oct. 7 in Herford, Germany, the tour (and further dates that follow) will be in support of the band’s forthcoming album, Ashes.  The band’s fifth album, it is scheduled for release Oct. 8, just a day after that noted tour launches.  Spanning 11 songs, the 41-minute record is a solid new offering from this veteran power metal outfit.  That is proven in part through its musical body, which will be discussed shortly.  The record’s lyrical themes make for their own interest as they certainly offer a bit more variety.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the whole.  Each item noted plays its own important part to the whole of Ashes.  All things considered, they make Ashes a welcome new record from Tungsten that casual metal fans and the band’s established audiences alike will appreciate.

Ashes, the forthcoming fifth album from Tungsten, is a mostly successful new album that audiences are sure to appreciate.  That is due in part to its features musical arrangements.  From the beginning to the end of the 41-minute record, the arrangements present plenty of familiarity from the band.  They do not necessarily break any new ground.  The familiar keyboard lines are there along with the powerhouse vocals of front man Mike Andersson and the equally solid guitar work of Nick Johansson and bassist Karl Johansson.  All of the familiar harmonies and punch of the band’s work are on full display throughout most of the album.  The softest that the band gets is the late entry, ‘For Thee.’  This song incorporates some clearly Celtic instrumentation that when blended with the band’s more familiar power metal leanings, makes for the most unique musical composition.  Now, in the bigger picture, even with the familiarity in the arrangements’ sounds and styles, the arrangements still manage to maintain their own unique identity.  In other words, the arrangements are not just copied and pasted from the band’s other albums.  Keeping that in mind, the arrangements still present their own positive to the bigger picture.

Knowing the strength that the musical arrangements bring to Ashes, that is just one of the record’s strong points.  The record’s lyrical content makes for its own interest.  Case in point is the song, ‘Sunshine of Fall.’  As Karl Johansson explained of the song, “The lyrics are inspired by autumn. I think it’s often overlooked. There’s something special about the colors, the falling leaves, and that feeling of an ending before something new begins.”  How many hard rock and metal bands out there can say they have crafted a song that is simply about the beauty and warmth of fall.  It is not exactly the first thing that a person thinks of when one thinks of metal and hard rock, but there it is, and it works, too.  It is a nice, unique presentation, needless to say.  

Audiences looking for something perhaps more familiar get that right from the album’s outset in ‘Bite My Tongue.’  Again, citing Karl Johannson, "The lyrics are about how people often voice their opinions about various things loudly without hesitation, but when you hold a different view, it's sometimes better to stay silent to keep the peace which can be quite frustrating at times."  Considering the current state of the world, this song is a statement that certainly resonates.  It really is frustrating to have to hold one’s tongue when certain others want to run their mouths so loudly and then try to shout down those who have opposing views that they do not want to hear.  Sadly, that is where this world has come to in its current age and it looks like there is no end in sight to this state of affairs.  To that end, it makes this song’s topic such a strong opener and part of the whole.

The topic is approached clearly as Andersson sings, “Same old script/Same tired show/Can’t stand when I don’t bow/You paint your truth/Like it’s the law/But I won’t be your mirror on the wall/Poh god it burns so bright/Feeding hunger lost in flight/Endless silence/Endless pain/Trapped inside this cruel chain/I sit in silence/Bite my tongue/While you preach/Like you’ve already won/If I speak back/It’s all out war/So I stay quiet/can’t take no more.”  This is a pretty straight forward statement that, again, resonates so loudly in the world today.  To that end, the accessibility herein pairs with the song’s musical arrangement (which actually is comparable to works from fellow power metal outfit Sabaton) to make the whole such a unique and solid addition to the album.

On yet another note, the band also offers a simple topic in the form of national pride (so to speak) in the single, ‘The North Will Rise.”  The song features a guest appearance by Sonata Arctica’s Tony Kakko.  Andersson said of this song, “Lyrically it's a kind of a hymn to our part of the world in the north. We hope the metal community and the fans of Sonata Arctica and of course TUNGSTEN will like this song and crank it up LOUD!"  This again, shows the diversity in the album’s lyrical body.  When it and the other lyrical content examined here is considered along with the rest of the album’s lyrical material, the whole therein leaves no doubt as to the role of the album’s lyrical content.  When that material is considered alongside the album’s more familiar musical body, the whole further solidifies the album’s presentation.

Rounding out the most important of the album’s elements is its production.  The production ensures that each composition is fully immersive.  From beginning to end of the record, the vocal and instrumental performances are expertly balanced, with each musician’s work complimenting that of his band mates.  The result is a fully positive general effect for the record.  That general effect pairs with the positive of the arrangements themselves and the diverse, engaging and entertaining lyrical content to make the whole a positive new offering from Tungsten.

Ashes, the forthcoming new full-length studio recording from Tungsten, is a strong new offering from the veteran power metal band.  The album’s success comes in part through its musical body.  The arrangements featured herein are familiar territory for the band but still present their own identity separate from the arrangements that the band has composed in its existing albums.  The lyrical themes featured within the album are more diverse, ranging from the serious to the simple.  They ensure plenty of engagement and entertainment not just for that diversity but also for the accessibility in their delivery and their familiarity.  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the whole.  That is because of its impact on the record’s general effect.  Each item examined is important in its own way to the whole of the record.  All things considered they make Ashes a presentation that metal fans in general will appreciate just as much as Tungsten’s established audiences.

Ashes is scheduled for release Oct. 8. 

4.5 Out Of 5.0