Well, in reply to someone's question on another forum, this is what I said about
Ashes:
Quote:
Yes, it's a new album. It differs in some ways from the Morten Veland era albums, and from World of Glass. I read a review in the UK magazine Zero Tolerance (a fun little magazine about extreme music, available every two months in your average mainstream newsagents/bookstore - W. H. Smith, for example). The review suggests that this album is less aggressive than its predecessors. I think it should have read "less aggressive on balance", because the album opens with aggression, and there's plenty more to be found. The opening is interesting, because for me it places this album in a strange middle ground between "doom metal" and "black metal". I say "strange" because while there are certainly black metal touches on this one, there's also some almost "mainstream rock" guitar work. That again is hard to define, but the various repeated-note sequences - while not being obviously and directly suggestive - just could have come from the repertoire of The Edge. Let's say it's imaginable, but no more than that, and I may be making the wrong associations.
Overall, I think the band have tried to find some new territory, while at the same time revisiting some old territory. I've played the album a few times now and it's growing on me.
An interesting touch: I have the digipack version, which features a bonus track, but the bonus track is placed within the original track order: it pops up as track 7 out of 9. This suggests to me that they had some kind of concept in mind, although I can't say that it's obvious.
The packaging is interesting too - not overwhelmingly "gothic". All in all, hints of an attempted "crossover".
And then, a bit later, I went on to say:
Quote:
Further thoughts about Ashes:
Track 4, "Cure", has an opening atmosphere that's more reminiscent (to me, anyway) of All About Eve's ill-fated fourth album Ultraviolet, which might have been inspired to some extent by the Cocteau Twins. And this on an album that - to perhaps interpret your "noisy" problem - includes some stuff that I see as black metal. Interesting. Confusing. I'll keep on listening.
Track 6, "Shadowman": think Anathema.
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)...let's wait and see what these people are capable to show (I mean, let's wait until the CD is released in Spain :|).
. Maybe when I listen to it more often, I'll get the sound, but right now... 
, for example a felt the same as now the first time I listened to "HTMAP?" and right now is one of my favourites albums ever 
... yep, you're right