From Ashes to New - "Blackout"
Nu Metal + Alt Metal = [insert Squidword "daring today" meme]
This Nu/Alt Metal and Rap Rock group has been in existence for about a decade now. Around the time their first album dropped in 2016 was also about the endpoint of when I was reliably listening to radio, but they were definitely getting play on the hard rock stations, so they’re not an unknown, by any means. Blackout marks their fourth full-length release, and it’s honestly better than I expected.
I mean, don’t let that statement fool you - the first three tracks are predictably heavy and angsty with no real creativity. They’re decent, but formulaic. The album doesn’t begin to really come into its real potential until “Hope You’re Happy” and “Barely Breathing”, which both feature sadder lyrics and (slightly) less BPM, though still with tons of instrumentation. Most importantly, the melodic structure of these is a little more thought-out and complete.
From Ashes to New, along with the existence of other Nu Metal acts,1 makes a strong point against those who decry Sleep Token (and others) as unoriginal or “sellouts” with how they’ve approached blending metal with hip hop and R&B. Nu Metal has existed, as a recognized genre, since the mid-90s.2 And in nearly thirty years of life, it hasn’t evolved a whole lot.
I mean, listen to “Armageddon”, near the end of Blackout. It’s purely typical faire for the genre. There are sections where the band’s sound is a bit more modern, but very few songs really stand out.
And it’s not like the genre is totally played out. Papa Roach’s 2022 effort was incredibly solid. But From Ashes to New largely sticks to the script. And that’s fine. The album is enjoyable. It’s solid headbanging jams if that’s all you’re looking for. I was just looking for a little more.
Rating: Yellow
See Korn, Linkin Park, Papa Roach, and Limp Bizkit, among others.
See this Guardian article from 2001.