Seeing an 18 year old perform and compose every instrument with clarity of thought and intentional songwriting chops beyond his years was impressive enough, but 2016 sees Nick Stanger as exuberant as ever; Yūgen outshines their debut “Vacant” in every aspect. A gorgeous expedition through luscious soundscapes aided by an oriental tint, Ashbringer present one of the most invigorating, raw, and enjoyable adventures the genre has seen so far this year.
Nick Stanger, the mastermind behind Ashbringer, changed from a one-man-do-it-all on their first album Vacant to a full band for this record. Stanger has expanded the project to a full five piece (with the occasional guest), and with it, the project's sound has expanded and changed. The music is now bigger, heart-on-its-sleeve, bombastic black metal.
The second album of Minnesota’s Ashbringer is named Yūgen. It was released digitaly on May 22, and then, on June 7 by Avantgarde Music as a beautiful 6 panels digipack with 12 pages booklet, ORDER YOUR COPY HERE! with vinyl coming later via Vendetta and a cassette edition via Broken Limbs Recordings. It’s as striking and memorable as the album’s cover art.
I am impressed by the musical prowess, the ability to project Atmospheric Black Metal onto the unsuspecting listener with the promise of vast open lands lurking somewhere behind yonder mists that are obscuring the view.
The music is both storming and hypnotic, ferocious and beautiful, with a mix of barbaric and clean vocals. And as you’ll soon discover, there’s a high, trilling guitar motif in this enthralling song that’s insanely catchy.
Formed In: 2013
Status: Active
Years Active: 2013-Present
LINE UP
Nick Stanger - Guitar, Vocals, Mandolin, Synthesizer
Nathan Wallestad - Bass
Ian Sutherland - Drums, Percussion
Robert Northrup - Guitar
Cormac Piper - Keyboards, Oboe, Piano, Synthesizer
Location: Twin Cities Area, Minnesota
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Current Label: Avantgarde Music
Booking/Press Contact: nickstangermusic@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashbringermusic
Bandcamp: https://ashbringermusic.bandcamp.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ashbringermusic
Yūgen (Full-Length Album - 2016)
Released May 22, 2016
Credits
Additional performers:
Elizabeth Redding - Vocals on track 6
Cameron Becker - Trombone on track 7
Production credits:
All music and lyrics composed by Nick Stanger
Produced, engineered, and mixed by Nick Stanger and Nathan Wallestad at Ephemeral Audio in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mastered by Justin Weis at Trakworx in San Diego, California
Artwork by Tryfar
Pre-order Yūgen here:
Avant Garde: https://avantgardemusic.bandcamp.com/album/y-gen
Season of Mist: shop.season-of-mist.com/ashbringer-yugen-cd-digipack
