Embers

"The Bay Area just can't stop producing good bands. Embers make complete sense in the context of local peers like Ludicra and Saros. They've got punk, black metal, street grit and that special Bay Area brand of melancholy {via lovely viola. Bands like this you hold onto for a while." - Cosmo Lee

Embers is a crust doom project with sometimes thrashy influences from the Oakland California punk scene. Members have been in projects like Lesser of Two, Abandon, Background to Malfunction, and live member Nine used to be part of the short-lived and surprisingly influential avant-garde black metal project The River Runs Black. As seen above, the album has been dedicated to the memory of an individual simply known as Dominik, who passed at the age of 32 for unknown reasons. The lyrics on Memoria in Aeterna are immensely personal, far-removed from what some could consider punk-oriented, except for Heroin. However, the lyrics are of a lesser importance on this release than the music itself, as will be seen through the long moments of musical textures and atmosphere.

Incredibly dramatic, the music on Memoria in Aeterna fluctuates between crust doom that fits somewhere between the heavier moments of Giant Squid and newcomers Gallhammer. Not only is the music incredibly felt and expressive, it can also get to moments of extreme violence and fury, sometimes even on the side of self-infliction. The music is played expertly, with every instrument being incredibly tight, specifically on the drums that continuously bombard the listener with a never-ending array of changing patterns and rhythms. The bass consistently flows between melodies underneath the guitar counter melodies and chords and give the music an immensely melancholic flavor in times of expressive measures, while the keyboards do more to add to a more playful destructive side during aggressive segments.

As if the music isn't good enough, the album artwork itself is worth the purchase. A six-panel double-fold booklet, Memoria in Aeterna features at least 5 drawings that were apparently the work of the dedicated individual, Dominik (states as the signing below the inner large fish drawing is “Dominik 2001”. The drawings feature an immense amount of detail and are of natural, psychedelic, and frightening textures. Also included are lyrics and a live picture of the band. The EP can be bought for $10 (+ Shipping) via paypal on the artists' website, and I strongly recommend you do as this is one of the best piece of aural expression to come out of the Bay area in a while. If you enjoy the music, there's also a T-shirt available for $15 (+ shipping).
- Sage ~www.heathenharvest.com/article.php?story=20090128152445466

As I listened to this CD for the first time, I already knew it would be my new background music for the upcoming gloomy Seattle winter. Former members of Oakland's LESSER OF TWO wrench forth a selection of dark dramatic songs, with not a whole lot of high end...very down-tempo, indeed. Including eerie keyboards and viola, accented with brutal female-male lyrics that sound like witches expelling demons (or summoning them?) and drums with twists of black metal make this a great record to walk around in the rain to. All the components blend together well, creating a dark somber veil of music. Evil-laden music with strong metallic undertones, at once ambient and creepy, overall a killer release. (Maygun) - Maygun //www.profaneexistence.org/reviews?start=320

"Embers manages to successfully pull off the heavy bombast of groups ranging from Neurosis and Ludicra along with a mix of the atmospheric parts of (early) Emperor, Remains of the Day. The vocal phrasings are the most challenging element. Kelly's voice isn't all that clear in places but it's more of a crusty sort of mid-range, not far from Alica of doomsters, 13. Production is generally good for a D.I.Y. release.

"Suicide" begins with an orchestral viola drone and a slow, doomy build up then builds to a steady doomy to fast and soaring metal number tune and back again. The pace is interesting in that they give enough space and balance for every member. Other places show a bit of a "post-rock" feeling like Red Sparrows or Mare ("Reprise"). "Corruption" takes off with a bombastic, aggressive pace and an overall massive sound.

"Heroin", blasts out with hammering drumming and mixes the stop/starts as well as some nice bass and majestic keyboards ('ala early Emperor). Lots of infectious riffing and time/chord changes without becoming overtly flashy. Some nice sweeping structures and some creative fretboard, excellent mix of keyboards/bass at 2:31-2:54.

The closer, "War" is very epic, makes good use of doom riffs that cascade into another fine epic. Proper use of of pinch harmonics and viola are also put to work. The guitars mostly follow along to the bass. The riffing & structure at 2:03-2:22 & 3:00-3:23 are similar to Celtic Frost's "Necromantic Screams" played at a slower pace. A few accents from the keyboards eventually blend in just right with the other elements. Other unexpected sections appear like a flurry of harmonics, viola and some crazy growls, all of which adds to its listen ability unlike other bands who make things sound forced (looking at you, Abigail Williams).

In all, a very solid debut from a band that has a lot to offer. Very diverse and epic sound. They've also been playing a lot of the East Bay and San Francisco club & warehouse shows and are always impressive live. Also, for the people into underground crust/hardcore and noise rock stuff, check out Kelly & Steve's previous band, Lesser of Two." - Ravensfjord~ http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=172603

"I'm surprised that this EP hasn't gotten much more attention than it has from the metal scene; it falls into what I would imagine is a niche that would appeal to a wide audience, and the music itself is extraordinarily well done and memorable, so why hasn't this band seen some more success? 'Memoria In Aeterna', the debut EP by Embers, is a slab of crust-infused and melodic black/doom metal that wouldn't seem strange at all put next to Gallhammer or on Southern Lord's roster. I'd imagine that this band will go pretty far as soon as they get noticed, so now would be a good time to explore them before they sell out and start playing melodeath.

A reasonable description would be Gallhammer with substantially more melody and US influence rather than Hellhammer worship. Clean/acoustic guitar is used extensively throughout the EP, providing subtle, almost post-metal build-up towards the more violent and churning black/doom sections. The crust influence is pronounced and melodic in a late Amebix or Stormcrow variety, and the tempo really never goes towards d-beat territory; most of the music is plodding, with every note from the guitar feeling like it needs to be somehow wrung from the instrument itself. It's weighty without being artificially heavy, and though certain moments more than slightly remind one of Pelican or other post-metal artists, the music is generally free of pretense and twee leanings.

The spectacular amount of variation within songs is what makes this so special, and the supremely winding, narrative song structures are what allow it to occur. Embers regularly passes through sections of clean guitar juxtaposed with churning black/doom metal and the very occasional faster crusty section, but transfers through all these different styles without losing step, as the songs are extremely linear and lacking repetition. Vocals drier than driftwood shriek across slack surfaces of melodic yet decrepit riffing before bursting into crust punk fury, but no part of it ever feels pointless or awkward; the songs are designed with a supreme sense of purpose and never fail to keep the listener's attention.

The debut EP by Embers is an extremely strong first volley on the part of the band, and I'm very interested to see where they go from here. Perhaps the band's extensive roots in the punk rather than metal scene is a contributing factor to the lack of attention they've received, and this is unfortunate, because I believe a wide variety of metalheads could see this band becoming one of their favorites based on the strength of this material. Highly recommended, and I'm eager to hear more from these guys." - Noktorn~ http://www.metal-archives.com/review.php?id=172603

Amazing mix of epic black metal, apocalyptic hardcore and even a few hints a prog. This Oakland band’s vocalist/bassist (Kelly) and one of their guitarists (Steve) used to play the metal/hardcore band Lesser of Two. Kelly’s vocals are really deep and brutal but seem to work with every song. Embers use keyboards and viola to highlight certain moods/movements instead of making it obvious and cheesy. If you mixed Neurosis, Ludicra, Kylesa and Remains of The Day you’d come up with something like this. A great album all around and even better live.

((((((1)))))) Drone & feedback, slow keyboards & doomy riffs. Then a big-ass sound with every element balanced perfectly!
((((2)))) Interlude with twangy guitars, nice moody keyboards.
(((((((3))))))) Slow, spacious intro then rages ahead with a very focused & bombast. Gets fast and vicious at 2:55-3:21 then back to the epic stuff with tons of rad drumming & grim vox.
(((((4)))))) Heavy low end with proggy riffs & keyboard fills. Vicious vocals and again a really full sound. They really know how to create a mood & shift tempos naturally.
(((((((5))))))) Hammering, riffy/bassy and totally pummeling but well orchestrated sound filled out well with keyboards and viola. Catchy AND crushing!
((((((6)))))) Expansive, dramatic, great drum/viola/keyboard work, kinda doomy, then gets more bangin’ at 3:27. - Zoo Keeper Online ~ http://zookeeper.stanford.edu/index.php?s=byAlbumKey&n=879666&q=10&action=search

Embers comes from the same gritty stream that flows through other Bay Area greats: Neurosis, Ludicra, Hammers of Misfortune, Saros, Grayceon, Amber Asylum, Worm Ouroboros, and more. Like these bands, Embers are hard to classify. Their foundation is crusty black metal, but slower passages suggest doom and even old 4AD. Unobtrusive keyboards, plaintive viola, and male and female screams enrich the sound. It sucks you in; I often put Embers on repeat and lose myself in its twists and turns.

Last year the band self-released a split 12? with Oregon�s Book of Belial. Embers has made its two tracks (totaling about 19 minutes in length) from that split available for free download. See its Bandcamp page here, which offers streaming whole songs, complete lyrics, and a full range of download formats including MP3, FLAC, AAC, and more. See also the phenomenal artwork above, drawn by exceptionally talented bassist/vocalist Kelly Nelson. To purchase the 12?, visit the band�s official site here.

Embers is the real deal. Here�s your chance to get in on its ground floor. Again, stream, read, and download for free here. It will be worth your while.
-Cosmo Lee - Cosmo -http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2010/03/sign-them-already-embers