CoC : Ashes You Leave - The Inheritance of Sin and Shame : Review

Ashes You Leave - _The Inheritance of Sin and Shame_
(Morbid Records, 2000)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)

My expectations regarding AYL's _The Inheritance of Sin and Shame_ were very high, considering this Croatian band's quality debut _The Passage Back to Life_ and second album _Desperate Existence_ [CoC #39]. _TIoSaS_ did not disappoint me, but it did not turn out to be as amazing an album as I still feel AYL can produce, either. It's still very doomy metal with female vocals and some death vox, as well as violin and flute, and still not anywhere like the vast majority of bands that might fit that description. AYL's sound continues to have a slight pleasantly raw edge that you do not generally find in such bands, while the vocals and the various instruments produce less flashy but often more interesting and emotional results -- AYL continue to very clearly play doom metal with a highly personalised musical approach. Similarly to _Desperate Existence_, _TIoSaS_ has some really fine passages that would justify an even higher rating and prove that this band can reach something very remarkable indeed soon. But even forgetting for a moment the incomprehensible happy section in the title track, AYL just need to be able to make a whole album that can be as special as those passages on _TIoSaS_. The band is currently going through some considerable line-up changes as well as a change of label. If things go well, I strongly suspect their next album might see them finally making full use of all their potential. In the mean time, _The Inheritance of Sin and Shame_ is a fine album indeed, and a very welcome change from the genre's norm.

(article published 12/8/2000)

CHATS
5/19/1999	P Azevedo	Ashes You Leave: Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust

ALBUMS
5/19/1999	P Azevedo	8	Ashes You Leave - Desperate Existence