House of the Daemon is the brand new release from Ashenheart, designed to close out the old band and usher in the new , as Amanda and Alex are now joined by Steve Wiener – who doesn’t have the letter A anywhere in his name, let alone at the beginning, so that dynamic is fucked – and it does this expertly.

If you are a regular Black Metal Archives visitor, then you will, no doubt, know that I’m a huge convert to the Ashenheart cause, and that in my review for Faded Gold, I called it a late contender for my album of the year list. I thought that the dynamic between Amanda and Alex was perfect. In fact, I was convinced that Ashenheart couldn’t have been improved in any single way, but then again, Steve Wiener isn’t your usual single musician. He is the mad genius behind Am I in Trouble? and adding him to the already brilliant Ashenheart takes them to another level entirely.

Hopefully the level where they will eventually be talked about in the same revered tones as Dark Throne, Immortal, et al. I know that’s quite a big statement to make, but I’m not blowing smoke here, Ashenheart were on that ledge before Steve joined and now there is nothing to stop them from reaching the very top, which is where I truly believe they belong. And House of the Daemon is the ideal first step in this new direction.

Soft Spanish guitar gives way to punishing, riff heavy extreme metal with a black heart burning in its centre, while Alex banshees his way through the lyrics in his full pomp. It is fucking glorious, which is a word I use far too much when talking about Ashenheart, but it’s the only word I can think of when describing the intense, cataclysmic sound that falls from my speakers whenever I press play.

As always, Alex’s possessed vocals are accompanied by Amanda and her fantastic multi instrumental virtuosity and her ability to craft music that is as breathtakingly beautiful as it is devastatingly powerful, and when you now add Steve into the mix and his acoustic guitar wizardry, along with his work on the keys that layer a thick atmosphere upon an already suffocating track, then Ashenheart’s first effort, House of the Daemon is as flawless as the most prized pearl.

If you somehow haven’t yet jumped jn rhe Ashenheart band wagon then you want to while it passes your way, and the best place to start is with House of the Daemon over on their Bandcamp page.