Ashestoangels are a gothic alternative metal/rock band hailing from Bristol. While their traditionally gothic image may invite accusations of style over musical substance, latest single Dorian is a solid, catchy track with definite rock radio appeal which proves these criticisms are unfounded.
Dorian begins with a gentle piano intro, which soon segues into a guitar riff paired with a fast, urgent drum track which provides the backbone of the song and evokes goth-punk pioneers such as AFI and Aiden. The lyrics of the song are fairly standard goth rock fare, dealing with a melancholy tale of lost love, but they come across as to be poetic instead of trite, partly due to their impassioned delivery by vocalist Adam Crilly.
Dorian can feel slightly formulaic, with its combination of fast guitar-driven punk verses and soaring choruses there’s nothing ground-breaking here, but this does not detract from the song’s catchiness or dark gothic charm. That said, the injection of synths in the song’s latter half do go someway to giving the song a more individual sound. Overall, Dorian is a polished delight to listen too, and an excellent effort from this promising band.
7/10
