Season Of Mist welcomes Oak, Ash & Thorn.
Out of Denver, Colorado, from along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, Oak, Ash & Thorn arose with a collective passion for heavy metal and a shared pagan worldview.
Inspired by the likes of Týr, In Flames and Immortal, the band released their first album in 2018. May Every Altar Linger established a patented blend of anthemic riffs, athletic drumming, dueling clean vocals and death growls. In 2021, their EP To Gaze On Stars Of Frost refined their sound further. Fabian Jiru of Trollfest handled production duties so masterfully that he was brought back for their next EP Eternal, which was released by Lost Future Records.
Last month, Lost Future released Oak, Ash & Thorn's second album. Our Grief Is Thus is tighter while also pushing beyond the band's pagan roots and blackened death metal foundation. Songs like "Dying Culture" and "Auras" pulls from the galloping energy of crust punk, power metal's soaring triumph and the unconventional melodies of progressive rock. The end result is a powerful, unique sound that is fully their own, as melodic and memorable as it is heavy and crushing.
Now, Oak, Ash & Thorn are taking the next step in their journey by signing with Season Of Mist. As they continue to tour in support of their latest album, the band will begin writing what's bound to be a highly-anticipated follow-up.
"We are thrilled to sign with Season Of Mist," says Oak, Ash & Thorn. "It's long been the home of some of our biggest influences, and it is a tremendous honor to now stand alongside them at one of the most reputable metal labels in the world. To say that we're living out our dream is an understatement."
Tracklisting:
"Dying Culture"
"Like The Sea, I Raged"
"Ten Years On The Tundra"
"Bury Deep My Tired Bones"
"Light My Pyre"
"Auras"
"Distant Mountains, Distant Gods"
"Unchain The Wolf"
While only loosely constructed as a concept album, with Our Grief Is Thus, Oak, Ash & Thorn have built a monumental record. Every song deals with grief in some fashion. "Dying Culture" is about the decay of tradition by way of urbanization and generational decline. "Light My Pyre" tackles betrayal and the dissolution of friendship. "Auras" deals with the erosion (and rejuvenation) of honor and identity in the face of withering familial ties.
Oak, Ash & Thorn recorded their latest album in Ft. Collins, Colorado, at the Blasting Room, which was founded by Black Flag and Descendents drummer Bill Stevenson. Our Grief Is Thus marks the first time in the band's history that they have walked out of a studio with an album fully representing their vision.
Having now signed to Season Of Mist, they're ready to take their spirited brand of blackened pagan power metal to even greater heights.
(Photo by Tony Gomez at Shoot & Destroy Photography)
