Sun of the Dying – A Throne of Ashes

Metalcatto

I have a complex relationship with Melodic Death Metal. You see, I’m a sucker for all those Death/Doom sad puppy bands that make us want to go back to therapy — but that’s exactly the problem too. Originality is scarce in this niche. So, Sun of the Dying has the difficult task of impressing me in a year when we’ve already had some fantastic releases. However, A Throne of Ashes seems to promise a more varied experience that could break the shackles of old-school MeloDeath — and that’s always hopeful, right?

Don’t worry, that wasn’t some kind of sarcastic introduction. A Throne of Ashes is indeed an interesting album full of pain and sorrow that answers the question: what would happen if Eternal Storm decided to go Post-Metal? Not that I ever asked that question, but it’s still good to know! The album shines brightest when big changes and sequences start to unfold. Even the clean vocals add an epic layer to these long tracks that use their length wisely (oops, that sounded dirty!). What starts as a Post/Doom thing ends up somewhere in the Goth/MeloDeath realm — and that’s a puzzling decision, but the good kind of riddle.

It’s hard to isolate elements in A Throne of Ashes. The music delivers the most when everyone plays in unison. However, the melodic work probably steals the show, with painful lines that remind you over and over again what it was like to be in high school, miserable about your dull present and your total lack of future prospects (I hope MER’s Romanian lobby doesn’t get mad at me now!). This is the kind of depressing Metal I could see myself relaxing to on the metro. However, I do have to say things that are less flattering so the haters calm down.

It’s the usual boring comment here: the sad Death/Doom is solid and reliable, but I would’ve liked to get more of what we feel in the first three tracks than the slow descent into more traditional territory. As I said before, this is a subgenre dying for someone to mix things up, and though Sun of the Dying does that to an extent, I believe the band could do it even more in the future. That’s not a crazy request, right? I’m sure Pegah will have nothing to change in this album though.

I might’ve preferred the first half, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing for you here. In fact, people who love their Metal to feel like a cold shower will be delighted to dive into these dark waters. A Throne of Ashes shows a band with a lot of potential, one that should start building a proper fanbase at this point. So, join a decent cause today.

Label: AOP Records

Release date: November 21, 2025

Website: www.facebook.com/SunOfTheDying 

Country: Spain

Score: 3.5/5.0