Written By: Nameless_n00b_603

CRISIS CATALYST – 1

In an age where technology is abundant and affordable, it’s never been easier for someone with a ditty and a dream to make their music a reality. Enter Ashes of Reason, the brainchild of one-man band Anthony Ellis, and his third full-length, Crisis Catalyst. Shouldering the responsibility to write, record, and produce your own album is painstakingly ambitious and requires deep wells of both grit and gumption. Calling the shots means you get to deliver your 100% pure, undiluted vision into the hungry earholes of curious listeners. You also risk crafting an echo chamber, reinforcing questionable choices, and forgoing feedback that could make the difference between a romp-stomping release and an aural slog.

Crisis Catalyst is an influence-laced affair, with an In Flames-tinged riff here (“Desensitised Nation”) and an Annihilator-flavored vocal delivery there (“Crisis Catalyst”). It’s at the altar of Iron Maiden, though, where Ashes of Reason worships most fervently. The problem with wearing influences on your sleeve is that you inevitably draw comparisons to your muse, especially when covering one of their most beloved tunes. Ashes of Reason’s cover of “Hallowed Be Thy Name” offers a cross-section of the woes that plague Crisis Catalyst, including dubious production and a scarcity of the show-stopping shredder cheese that most heavy metal cooks with.

Listeners’ largest and most immediate hurdle is Ellis’ voice. He employs an assortment of styles; opener “Fight the Machine” touts Halfordian falsettos that get blood and fists pumping, and it’s a shame this style is relegated to one track because it’s by far the best one deployed. Mostly, the vocals mirror a reduced Devin Townsend (“Screaming at the Void,” “Pineapple Party”) without the range or versatility and are too often pitchy and unrefined. The biggest vocal sin is the ungainly reverb bedeviling tracks across the album (“Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “Clarity,” “The Long Return”). Hearing it repeatedly undercuts the momentum built by better moments. Layered vocal harmonies present another challenge; they aren’t inherently bad and work well when deftly implemented, but at times throughout Crisis Catalyst, they clash with jarring friction (“Screaming at the Void,” “Clarity,” “Ledger of Ghosts”). Other times, one vocal track sustains a note longer than another, creating a sloppy, uneven experience when mixed together (“Screaming at the Void,” “The Long Return”). If consuming Crisis Catalyst passively, some of these gripes aren’t immediately arresting, but once attuned, they’re distracting and difficult to endure on repeated spins.

Despite the vocals, there are plenty of praise-worthy moments on Crisis Catalyst. Rock-solid riffs snake through the album, featuring kickass licks and highlighting Ellis as an adept rhythm guitarist. Whether drawing from Gothenburg charm (“Desensitised,” “Cost Too High”), laying out Maidenesque riffs (“Clarity”) or pumping out hard-rocking grooves (“Fight the Machine,” “Pineapple Party”), Ashes of Reason can assemble rousing compositions. Bass guitar occupies an unobtrusive yet chunky space that fits snugly in the mix (“Crisis Catalyst,” “Hallowed Be Thy Name”), while the drumming is an album highlight, flexing quick-sticked fills and fleet footwork.

Crisis Catalyst has promise, but those promising ideas are undermined by execution blunders and strange production decisions, leaving me wondering how much better Crisis Catalyst might have been with an experienced producer and another guitarist. The final result is a disappointing collection of tracks that needs more polish before serving it to the masses. If this review is harsh, it’s not out of malice. It takes a heaping dose of resolve and fearlessness to will an entire album into existence on your own, and for that, Anthony Ellis deserves a hearty tip of the cap. A good album lurks within these depths, but the experience is ultimately marred by distracting vocal effects, familiar ideas, and choices that are hard to justify. Absent a track to reel me back in, I won’t return to Crisis Catalyst after I close the chapter on this review. But with better production and more refinement, I’d be interested to hear what comes next.



Rating: 2.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Website: ashesofreason.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: July 4th, 2025

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