REVIEW: REV 16:8 – Ashlands

 

REV 16:8 – Ashlands (2011)

AFM Records

Two years after their debut, Grand Tidal Rave, the Swedish blackened outfit REV 16:8 returns with their sophomore effort, Ashlands, aiming to channel bitterness, devastation and isolation into the hearts of their listeners through a frozen, epic rendition of black metal. Interestingly, the band's own history carries a touch of that same restlessness the music conveys — they originally went by the name Scythe before becoming Bloodshed, and only later settled on the name REV 16:8, the moniker under which they've built their reputation. Ashlands was recorded in Stockholm between May and July 2010, then mixed and mastered at the renowned Necromorbus Studio — a name that will ring a bell for genre followers, given the studio's long-standing association with some of the scene's most respected acts.

Compositionally, the album is sharp and frozen, driven by fast tempos, countless blast beats, and a dark, epic atmosphere reminiscent of the old-school Norwegian scene — what many consider the true, pure black metal sound. That description sums up REV 16:8's musical identity rather neatly: primitive black metal built on distorted guitars, relentless rhythms, and hellish vocals, all delivered through a dirty, muddy production that only heightens the intensity and extremity of the songs.

For context, the album arrived through AFM Records in April 2011 in Europe, with the US release following that June, and has since drawn comparisons in the wider press to acts like Dark Funeral and Marduk — a reference point that captures both the record's strengths and its more familiar tendencies.

All in all, Ashlands is a decent addition to the black metal canon, one that will satisfy listeners drawn to traditional, uncompromising sounds. At the same time, it treads ground that feels rather well-worn within the genre. The choice, as always, is yours.

Christine  Parastatidou