SHADOWGARDEN

As far as Napalm Records releases go, it is hardly a shock to see a band like SHADOWGARDEN on the roster and an album like "Ashen" being released by the label. The vehicle travels right down the middle of a road with the light of pop-infected melodies and keyboard sprinkles on one side and the dark of gothic rock/metal with shades of doom on the other. Considering that SHADOWGARDEN boasts a membership inclusive of musicians from label mates DRACONIAN and that the angelic/pop vocals of Lisa Johansson appear on one track ("With Love and a Bullet"),it is with certainty that most otherwise previously uninformed listeners could with great certainty guess the name of the record label. As far as gothic rock/metal releases go, "Ashen" is solid and rather catchy, but hardly essential.

The formula followed throughout most of "Ashen" is a familiar one and, for the most part, an enjoyable one as well. If you were to take a more traditionally gothic approach to writing propulsive, SENTENCED-esque (last two albums),or maybe POISONBLACK, songs that typically lead with the main melody, shift to a lighter/airy verse with a soft vocal approach, and ramp up to a riff-driven chorus that revisits the main melody, then you've already heard most of "Ashen". Such a description is not intended as negative criticism though, as songs like "Last Summer" and "Murky Waters" are stout examples of the blueprint, both of which succeed on the rockin' and catchy levels. In other words, there is nothing here to outright dislike.

So aside from a closing track in "Slowmotion Apocalypse" that flirts with European doom in pacing and atmosphere (including mid-range growls),that aforementioned familiarity is certainly satisfactory. In basic terms, the 10 tracks of "Ashen" are consistently above average; just not by a wide margin.