Enough happy times and enjoyable music. It’s time for us to sink into the deepest despair and cry a river of tears. I hope this gloomy intro got your attention because thanks to ASCIAN (don’t confuse it with Asian, you monster!), we’re only going down from here—into more weeping and unfathomable sadness, of course. Right, we’re also here to try to grasp the quality of Sing to Me, Sweet Void (uplifting title, right?). Prepare those tissues, because you might need them by the time we’re done.
Sing isn’t just your typical Funeral Doom/Post-Metal. Yes, it gets extremely slow and dark in places, but you have no idea how much I appreciate that it dares to be creative. It doesn’t settle for being drony or mellow. There’s actual experimentation here, blending elements from classical Post-Metal to Goth Rock—and that’s so strange yet almost beautiful. Imagine if Draconian decided to go Avant-Garde—that’s what we’re dealing with here. Honestly, I was expecting to be bored out of my mind with Sing, but no! The pacing is top-notch for Doom/Post Metal. Not too slow, not too fast; it knows exactly when to switch things up.
I’ve rarely heard a freaking sax in Doom, and it should suck, but somehow ASCIAN makes it work, adding more drama to the music. There are deep moments of melancholy mixed with “I’m crushed, but so glad it happened anyway” (see “Fra Lyset”, for example). If MONO ever decided to take steroids and give up hope, it’d probably sound like ASCIAN. I want to be careful with my words and avoid calling Sing “revolutionary”, but the way it mixes influences from across the Metal spectrum is fascinating. Yet, there are a few things I have to warn you about before you hug your stuffed animals in tears.
This album is long, as in War and Peace long. If you’re not used to this slow-burn, Pelican-like approach, you’re going to suffer (and not in the way the album wants you to suffer). As usual, some editing could help the flow of each track. However, this isn’t my usual complaint about length—this thing is a procession, and I get that it’s meant to feel agonizing. But you need to be in the right mindset (as in heartbroken; luckily, I’m always heartbroken!). Also, ASCIAN is pretty eclectic as a project, so be prepared for ideas that might not always sit well together. I’m no musical purist, so I don’t care—but you gatekeepers might!
Another day, another album that subverts my expectations and shows me that even the most “boring” Metal subgenres can punch you right in the gut. Even if you’re skeptical about what ASCIAN has pulled off here, I believe you should acknowledge that we need more bands willing to take risks like this. Yes, it’s a journey, yes, it’s long—but that doesn’t mean it has to be tedious. You have to be ready to get uncomfortable to find the gold, and for once, ASCIAN can make us miserable in the way we all need.
Label: Self-release
Release date: 28 September 2024
Website: https://asciandoom.bandcamp.com
Country: Germany
Score: A criminally underrated 4.0/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 