Band : Shadowgarden
Album title : Ashen
Label : Napalm Records
Distributor : Rough Trade Benelux.
Release date : 27/08/2010
Release : CD

Ashen is the debut album of Swedish gothic rock band Shadowgarden. The band is rather unknown, but when I tell you that the band’s mastermind Johan Ericson is the chief of Draconian, a lot more people will be very interested in Johan’s new band. In fact, we can’t really speak of a fully ‘new’ band, because it was Shadowgarden which eventually became Draconian many years ago. Now Johan thought it was time to remove the clouds of dust from Shadowgarden and to blow new life into his precious project. For this, it was not that difficult to find band members. Three other members of Draconian (including singer Lisa Johansson) decided to be part of this promising band.
And what they’ve just delivered to the world is an album full of songs in quite the same style of Draconian: gothic rock full of tragedy, love and melancholy. The incredibly catchy melodies and enchanting vocal lines make this one of the best debut albums I have ever heard so far. But of course, the least you can say is that the band lacks experience. That’s their big advantage, which they (fortunately) have fully used on Ashen.
During ten beautiful songs, we experience the deepest and purest gothic rock/metal melodies and riffs that only a mastermind like Johan can create. From Shadowplay to Slowmotion Apocalypse and with the very catchy Last Summer, we get sucked into a dark world which leads us to a haunted journey filled with love and passion.

92/100

Tim Tronckoe.