Chad Murray talks to Alasdair Dunn from Scottish avantgarde black-metal band Ashenspire to find out more about the band and their latest brilliant album Hostile Architecture.

This Shame Should Not Be Mine is quite simply essential listening. A cathartic experience or an educational one, and in all avenues powerful and magnetic. One of the most politically significant and important albums I’ve ever reviewed and a personally comforting and rewarding listen too.

Hostile Architecture is a brutal examination of the harsh realities of capitalism, delivered in earnest and with immense sonic precision. If you like your music manifest with great depression then Ashenspire is the band for you. Album of the year candidate for me.

Anyone missing music that is genuinely intense, expertly performed and well-produced, this album is currently unparalleled.

“I’m naturally attracted to things that confuse me. I’m naturally attracted to things that make me feel out of my comfort zone because I’ve never really felt like I’m in my comfort zone so, I’m naturally more comfortable outside of it”.

‘Transformation’ is the surging and hypnotic lead single from Words, the new album by Highland Spokesman released on Sasha Piankov (Gnoomes)’s Zonned Records on 12th November. The music video for the track matches its sonic inspiration dragging the listener backwards through a spell-binding visual.

“it’s essentially a queer, genre-surfing, electronic, left-field, goth pop, industrial synth-wave album which for me summarises very well what I want from 2021”.

“This album is around fifteen minutes of absolutely unhinged, head-slamming excellence and is undoubtedly one of my favourite releases of the year”.

Like one long sedately sojourn through the deep chasms of some mercurial underworld, cruising in a convertible with the windows down as the skies rain Sulphur and the lakes breath fire whilst a lobotomised hood ornament dances a vacant hula.

“We actively try to distance ourselves from scenes. With improvisation, it’s easy for your art to be clouded by pretence. In the band, we have all sorts of different tastes but, we try to ignore all that and make muck” – Vincent, Muck Spreader.

Frontera is an album that I can see myself working to in the daytime or spinning at 3am whilst totally off my f-cking face and to me, that particular versatility is the sign of a great album.

Drool is yet another fine edition to the flawless discography of one of the UK’s greatest ever noise rock bands Part Chimp.

No Anchor is an excellent ambient/drone album that I’d highly recommend to fans of the genre and psychonauts alike.

Overall, this collection is as excellent as any other put out by the group, but it leaves me wanting more. I guess there can never be enough of a band you really love, but I am still extremely pleased that this release exists and that I have it despite how bittersweet I find its finality.

I listen to a lot of minimal and ambient techno, like Pan Sonic and Pole and wanted to do something similar and as stripped back as possible.

“Wasted Death is my newest thing! It’s with Tom who was in Death Pedals who now plays in USA Nails, and also Charlie from Beggar who are this killer sludge band I’ve worked with before!”

11 Years Of Chaos is a great example of Chaos Theory’s impeccable eye for talent across a diverse cornucopia of bands, solo artists and producers.

Pick A Day To Die should convince new listeners to go and watch Sunburned Hand of the Man at this year’s Raw Power when festivals at long last return.

The Cadaver Tomb Pt. 1 is a well-executed reinvention for Poly-Math that will leave listeners wanting to see what comes next.

Some really beautiful melodies, balanced out together nicely, with rich analogue texture.

Pharaoh Overlord manage to blend past, present and future into one outstanding work of art entitled ‘6’.