Metalcatto
Ashbringer is Minnesota’s answer to Deafheaven. For some time now, the band has been delivering emotional and heartbreaking Post-Metal richly layered with atmospheric touches. While Absolution continues to stand as my personal favorite (and arguably one of the best Post-Metal albums ever made!), We Came Here to Grieve was a fascinating, if decidedly weirder, successor. My expectations for this new album, Subglacial, are therefore absurdly high. The fact the band has stated it was created with minimal financial investment only fuels my excitement further! Let’s begin.
I’m still wondering if renting an entire physical space to record the album was truly the most financially sound decision. However, it was undoubtedly a compelling artistic choice. Subglacial feels raw, unpolished, and remarkably consistent in a way that deliberately emulates the directness of old-school Death Metal. Sonically, however, it plays out like a colossal crash between early Deafheaven and the expansive fury of Wildernessking. If anything, this album presents a more working-class, grounded interpretation of those influences. Gone are the Proggier experimentations of previous releases. Here, Ashbringer is singularly focused on crafting a battering, bleak atmosphere that feels strangely minimalist despite the substantial track lengths.
The production creates the immersive sensation that the band is playing right beside you in a rehearsal space. Despite the music’s inherently painful and gut-wrenching qualities, you cannot escape the warmth and familiarity born from this less polished, more immediate sound. Don’t worry, though—there is no room for murky or rotten soundscapes here. Every instrument, from the searing guitars to the pummeling drums, cuts through with startling clarity. This approach demonstrates once again how Ashbringer dominates the Post/Atmospheric Black Metal realm with an effortless mastery and a degree of raw expression most bands only dream of achieving.
Let’s address the central point directly. I understand the band may feel this is its finest work to date, but I personally miss the more Progressive touch and adventurous songwriting that characterized the earlier albums. Subglacial is firmly and unwaveringly nailed to a specific, American strain of raw Post-Metal. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that direction—it is executed with great skill and conviction—but it is inherently less transgressive and exploratory in nature, even if it stands as arguably the band’s heaviest release. Listeners also need to be prepared for a more traditional, gritty Black Metal production aesthetic. While everything is rendered cleanly enough to be discernible, it does require a few minutes to fully embrace its unvarnished, live-wire vibe.
Overall, Subglacial represents a powerful return to form for Ashbringer. We Came Here to Grieve was a divisive album, and while I appreciated its boldness, it is equally comforting to witness the band returning to its foundational roots with more intensity than ever before. This album serves as a testament that Ashbringer is not afraid to explore every idea within its reach and that these musicians operate without fear of external judgment. For that fearless spirit alone, you should dive headfirst into this uncompromising love letter to classic, atmospheric Post-Black Metal.
Label: Bölverk Collective
Release date: February 13, 2026
Website: https://www.facebook.com/myvalyir
Country: USA
Score: 3.7/5.0 (I’ll reconsider by the end of the year though)
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