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Black metal thrives on atmosphere, its manifestation. New releases this year by Mare Cognitum and Earth and Pillars demonstrate just how artists can unleash great intensity from abstract noise. Cue Ash Borer, who've two prior and well-received full-lengths in this category. A stream of “Lacerated Spirit” from their upcoming third album is below.

Ash Borer's 2011 self-titled debut illuminated something fresh and furious, but oblique and tense. A showcase for American black metal, in some respects, especially a characteristic rawness. Then, 2012's Cold Of Ages matured the band significantly; they'd incorporated doom metal and noise for a combed-back feel, with no detriment to its mad energy. Think somewhere between Yellow Eyes, Abyssal, and Wolves In The Throne Room.

This new song "Lacerated Spirit" is a microcosm for Ash Borer as a whole. It contains the unpredictable mood swings, but also a sincere patience, the contrast of which makes sit-down listening sessions more exciting. As expected, the great explosions of blastbeats come, accented snares pound above endless tremolo riffs. Like a sine wave, "Lacerated Spirit" roars up, climaxes, decays into postmodern noise, and then heads right back up.

Longer track lengths lend well to Homeric journeys with epic highs and deep lows. Electronic noisescapes and spacey intervals springboard the loftier black metal ascents. Through all this, The Irrepassable Gate is juxtaposing violent birth (irrepassable, the uncontrolled) with death's integrity (lustration, to make pure). Ash Borer, being oddly symbolic in that way, turns out bleak music, but not uncolored.

—Andrew Rothmund

The Irrepassable Gate releases December 2 via Profound Lore. Stream the album's second track "Lacerated Spirit" below.

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From the artist:

“…But the life of spirit is not the life that is afraid of death and preserves itself from destruction, but that which endures death and conserves itself in it. Spirit only attains its truth when it finds itself in absolute laceration.” - GWFH

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Ash Borer will perform on a small west coast tour next year.

01/19 – Seattle, WA @ Highline

01/20 – Vancouver, BC – TBA

01/21 – Portland, OR @ The Raven

01/22 – Sacramento, CA @ Starlite Lounge

01/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Complex

01/24 – Oakland, CA @ Metro

01/25 – Arcata, CA @ The Alibi

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