In the mid-to-late-'00s, raw black metal experienced a surge in popularity, fueled mostly by young people taking an interest in clandestine groups such as Les Legions Noires. One of the most prominent bands from this period was Ash Pool. It was formed in New York in 2005 by Dominick Fernow and Kris Lapke. Nowadays they are better known for their work in Departure Chandelier, but Ash Pool was what put them on the map. I first listened to these guys sometime around 2011, and after many repeat listens, they became one of my favorite raw black metal bands.
First Taste of Power
Ash Pool's first release was appropriately called First Taste of Power. Recorded shortly after their formation, it is understandably rough and primitive. The drums play almost non-stop blast beats, and thanks to the raw production, they sound like a deafening roar. Breaking these up on occasion are much simpler mid-paced rhythms, and even some slow, doom-like beats on songs like "Children Evaporating." The vocals are your standard black metal rasp. They're not that original, but they still sound nice. They also do some crazed screams in certain moments like on the title track. The guitars play the expected chilly tremolo riffs, but they also exhibit a slight death metal influence in their fiery palm-muted riffs, most notably those on "In Obsessive Pursuit." They then throw a curveball by playing slightly melodic punkish chord progressions. These passages would become one of their defining features later in their career.
First Taste of Power was a great first release. The music was quite thrilling and it's always interesting to see the early versions of elements that would reach full maturity on later albums.
Genital Tomb
The band's second demo, Genital Tomb, was released barely a year after their first. The production is more muffled, but the music is still impactful. The drums in particular are very strong. The raging blast beats have a terrifying rumbling quality, and these are often broken up by simple, straightforward, and enjoyable punkish rhythms. The vocal work is quite diverse. Not only do they perform the standard black metal rasp, but they also offer up hoarse growls, wicked screams, punkish shouts, and even droning clean vocals. The band surprises once again by starting off the demo with slightly melodic chord progressions that sound like a black metal version of post-punk. The very next song, "Demolishing Obsession," features simple yet violent grindcore riffs. "First Rape" features more classic frigid cold tremolo riffs, and "Dragged Down the Cobblestones" shows off some more punkish riffs.
It is on this demo that Ash Pool began to experiment with their sound. Black metal and punk was a rather uncommon combination back in those days, but these guys were bold enough to be different.
Black Bondage in the North
In May 2007, Ash Pool released a short two song EP called Black Bondage in the North. The production is less muffled and more abrasive. This creates a harsh and hostile atmosphere. The music leans more towards black metal this time around, but it still has some surprises up its sleeve. "Whipped to Death" starts off with pulverizing power chords which are then complimented by more frigid mid-paced passages. Strong d-beats carry them along, and they are accompanied all the while by angry, incoherent screams. Things then slow down, which is when the guitars play high-pitched melodic chord progressions. During the last minute, the band assaults the listener with raging blast beats and skewering palm-muted riffs.
In stark contrast to the first track, "Burn Furiously" begins with calm clean guitars and elaborate mid-paced drum arrangements. This then leads into harsh tremolo riffs that are paired with melodic chord progressions that have a triumphant quality to them. Aside from the screams, the band also performs low droning clean vocals here. As the song approaches the end, the tremolo riffs become more high-pitched and abrasive. All the while, the drums put on a spectacular complex performance.
This EP was only ten minutes long, but every minute was excellent. It's a fantastic blend of intricate drums and compelling guitars, and I also enjoyed the vocal work.
World Turns on Its Hinge
Just a few months later, the band put out their first full-length album World Turns on Its Hinge. This was the release that truly put them on the map. It's also my favorite Ash Pool album.
The production is wonderfully abrasive, some of the best in all of raw black metal. The heavy distortion makes for a harsh listening experience, but it's just clear enough to let all the instruments shine through. Kris Lapke really shows off his drumming skills on here. His many blast beats are rampaging, especially those on tracks like "Shade of Rape," and the slower rhythms he intersperses between them are thoughtful and precise. Sometimes he shows off some thumping double bass like on "Under Zyklon Blue." Other times he plays some simple yet strong punkish rhythms. The bass follows the guitars most of the time, but there are certain points on songs like "Vices Triumph Over Wisdom" where they become overpowering.
The vocal work is amazing. Dominick Fernow's screams are absolutely furious. They drip with hatred and malice. The vicious production quality makes them sound even more malevolent. The guitar work is incredible. The tremolo riffs chill to the bone and their delivery will shred the ears of those unprepared. The punkish riffs like those on "Crucifixion Fantasy" are extremely energetic and quite catchy. The palm-muted riffs on songs like "Shade of Rape" are astoundingly sinister. I was most surprised by the slow and haunting passages on "Under Zyklon Blue" that remind me of depressive black metal. Despite the sheer amount of raw rage, there is also plenty of melody to be found in every song.
Even after all these years, World Turns on Its Hinge is still one of my favorite black metal albums. Few can hope to match the impact of its raw production quality or the amazing craftsmanship of its riffs.
Saturns Slave
Two years after the release of World Turns on Its Hinge, Ash Pool put out a short two song EP called Saturns Slave. The production is a bit more muffled, but the music overall is the same as it was on their first full-length. The blast beats are still furious and the mid-paced rhythms show off a bit of flair. The screams are furious as always. The tremolo riffs are still as cold as outer space and still played viciously. The palm-muted riffs remain aggressive, and there is still plenty of melody to be found, especially on the final track. At a little over seven minutes in length, Saturns Slave is shorter than even some singles I've listened to in the past, but the music was still strong and compelling.
For Which He Plies the Lash
In 2010, the band released their second full-length album For Which He Plies the Lash. The production is still delightfully raw, but the music is a bit more experimental. Kris Lapke continues to play plenty of blistering blast beats, but he also takes the time to play thoughtful and intricate mid-paced rhythms on songs like "Porcelain Cancer Spear." One thing about this album that astounds me is that despite the raw production, the bass can be heard extremely well. It's especially prominent on songs like "Holocaust Temple."
Dominick Fernow performs a harsh rasp this time around. They're pretty good, but I was much more impressed by the clean vocals that show up on songs like "Holocaust Temple" and "Porcelain Cancer Spear." Vicious tremolo riffs still abound, but they also throw in some mid-paced chord progressions, some of which, like those on "Big Bang Black Metal," have a classic black metal quality to them. On songs like "Dancing Death Masters" they play crushing power chords, and on tracks like "Moon Rose Over Sobibor" they play more doom-like passages. Amazing melodies still make themselves known, my favorite of which can be found on "Porcelain Cancer Spear."
For Which He Plies the Lash was full of surprises and was a great album overall - "Holocaust Temple" is a marvel to behold - but personally, I prefer their first full-length due to the special charm it has.
Together They Serve to Define the Process
Just one year after the release of their second full-length album, the band put out another demo called Together They Serve to Define the Process. The production has gone back to sounding more muffled. The music also has more of a death metal tinge this time around. The pounding mid-paced passages, galloping rhythms, and blast beats all sound like something that certain Florida men would come up with. Aside from the screams and occasional clean vocals, they also do some hoarse growls. They still play plenty of tremolo riffs, but they also spend a great deal of time playing dark chugging riffs and sinister power chords. Sometimes they play fiery palm-muted riffs, like those on "Torquemada's House."
To be honest, this demo didn't resonate with me all that well, mostly because it strayed too far from their established formula.
Cremation Is Irreversible
2012 saw the release of Cremation Is Irreversible, a two song EP that is only nine minutes long. In stark contrast to their 2011 demo, the production on here is their most abrasive yet. It's so loud and distorted that it borders on being blackened noise. The first track is mostly mid-paced and the last track is a blistering high speed assault. The blast beats are as destructive as ever and the mid-paced rhythms remain precise. The harsh production makes the raspy vocals all the more terrifying. Clean vocals can be found on the first and last few seconds on the album, creating an interesting bookend. The tremolo riffs are still frostbitten and the mid-paced passages are dark and brooding. I was also quite surprised by the thrashing riffs on the last track.
I enjoyed this release much more than Together They Serve to Define the Process, but I still wish for a continuation of what they did on World Turns on Its Hinge. Unfortunately, Ash Pool has not released any new material since their split with Thy Serpent in 2019. It's clear that the members are much more focused on Departure Chandelier.