Release Date: April 04th 2025. Record Label: Electric Witch Mountain Recordings. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Shades Of The Ashes - Tracklisting
Thornado
Follow The Sun
Mystify
Speed Kig
From Fall To Rise
Interlude
Lightness At The End
Blow
Members:
Kamil Ziółkowski - Everything
Review
Shades Of The Ashes is the new album from Psych Stoner Metal collective Mountain Of Misery and this is the band or creative project that is helmed by Kamil Ziółkowski from the mighty SPACESLUG. This is Mountain Of Misery’s third full length album with Kamil operating with a heavier sound compared to the previous albums released under this guise. The sound combines different elements of Post-Rock, Sludge Rock, Doom Metal and Stoner Metal with a distorted atmosphere being used more prominently with the music also having an aggressive and jagged appeal which lasts throughout the whole album.
The Scorched DESERT ROCK vibe is undeniable with Mountain Of Misery using levels of Drone and Distortion that results in a heavy atmospheric sound which closely resembles SPACESLUG at times but with Kamil writing some uplifting lyrics and being more experimental with his intense melodies. The opening batch of tracks Thornado, Follow The Sun and Mystify are some of the heaviest and progressive sounds that Mountain Of Misery have delivered but with a thrilling modern Post-Doom and Post-Stoner landscape with a delicate APOCALYPTIC FUZZ movement being quite forceful and superbly powerful at the same time.
The level of detail that Kamil applies to the record is astonishing especially when the different styles of Psych, Space and Cosmic passages that elevate the record onto greater meditative heights. Kamil’s vocals are exquisite yet again and fans of SPACESLUG will recognize them right away. There’s a sense of urgency to the vocals which gives the record an unpredictable energy especially when matched against the Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves that never feel out of place.
Shades Of The Ashes is quite vivid but with a soulful outlook especially on tracks Follow The Sun, Speed Kig, From Fall To Rise and Blow. Kamil has tapped into the arena of CINEMATIC based music which allows him greater creativity and flexibility that he may not fully experience with SPACESLUG.
I love the deft sonic experimentation that Kamil has created and played with the different instruments that appear on this record. With some wonderful free-flowing AMBIENT and POST-ROCK movements, Mountain Of Misery has the “LOUD vs QUIET” dynamics nailed down to a fine art. This does feel like one of the best albums that SPACESLUG have never released but still allowing Kamil the opportunity to explore a different side to his musical persona which can be brilliantly HEAVY but with a subtle Sludge Rock vibe keeping everything grounded.
Shades Of The Ashes is my favourite Mountain Of Misery record to date and if you’re a fan of SPACESLUG and the other projects that Kamil is a part of then be prepared to be blown away. As this is another must have record from Mountain Of Misery who is fast becoming one of my favourite bands/solo projects to emerge from the underground scene.
Add this to your record collection now. You won’t be sorry.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Mountain Of Misery for the promo.
Shades Of The Ashes will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Electric Witch Mountain Recordings from Friday 04th April 2025.
Credits
Recorded at Electric Witch Mountain Recordings by Kamil Ziółkowski (January/February 2025) MIxed and Mastered by Haldor Grunberg (Satanic Audio) Produced by Kamil Ziółkowski & Haldor Grunberg All music and lyrics by Mountain Of Misery Cover artwork by Łukasz Puzdrowski LP Layout by Artur Rolik LP version in 2 colors (splatter and solid) available at Bandcamp site. mountainofmisery.bandcamp.com
Links
