Welcome to The Saw’s Butcher Shop! Sometimes its very quiet in here (except for your random moans and groans). In these times Ya Girl likes to go back and hit some New Album Releases that I have not had a chance to Review. As I mentioned in my 2022 AOTY Scrawl, Ingested have dropped a great new album, and it is passed time that we talk about it.

Ingested formed in 2006, in Manchester, England. Once again, you already know Ya Girl is a categorical thinker. As we have previously discussed, 2022 was a year where such categories are difficult to maintain, and the lines separating the categories have become blurred. On their newest album, Ashes Lie Still (November 4, 2022 – Metal Blade), Ingested are definitely a Death Metal band, but they are also very much Deathcore. 

The distinction between the two sub-genres is subtle (at best). For the most part, the difference is in song structure, composition and, honestly, the sound of the music. Lyrical delivery on Ashes Lie Still are almost exclusively Death Metal, and they are great! It is in the guitars and drums that one finds the fine-line of distinction – sometimes Death Metal, and sometimes Deathcore; but always brutal. 

For example: The title track (and leading single), “Ashes Lie Still,” is more-so a Deathcore blast. But it also contains Death Metal riffs at it’s core. This song also features some well-placed clean vocals that signify the new direction of extreme music. Sean Hynes (guitars and bass) and Lyn Jeffs (drums) are excellent together, and are a perfect one-two punch. 

“Sea of Stone” is one of my favorite tracks on the new album. It is (almost) a pure Death Metal example. Crushing riffs and time signatures are awesome! And the mid-range gutteral vocal delivery is beautiful. Jason Evans has a remarkable voice; very distinct and very much on time. 

“All I’ve Lost” features Mathew K. Heafy (Trivium) and has, yet, another strikingly different sound. With Heafy’s clean screams and hollars, combined with a looping track behind the harmony of the band – and Evans strong vocal delivery – the song stands-out and marks a calculated pushing of the (proverbial) envelope. 

“Echoes of Hate,” another of my favorites, has a wicked main Death Metal riff, with a brutal time change and combination vocals of highs and mid-range gutterals. In the middle of the track, the structure is very much Deathcore, though. Drumming, today, is very extreme; with blindingly fast hand and foot work, the style fits perfectly into both sub-genres. 

“Scratch the Vein” is a different song type altogether! It has a strangely timed riff, with a wicked sound (unlike any Death Metal/Deathcore signature to date). I think this song sets new standards; almost ballad-like, and I love the Death Metal ballad tradition of these brilliant bands! This is a beautiful song!

Ashes Lie Still contains a remix of an older song by Ingested, “Rebirth.” It’s a banger, and a great example of Ingested’s older sound, and highlights the evolution of the band on the new album. 

And I haven’t even talked about, “Shadows of Time,” “You’ll Never Learn,” “Tides of Glass,” “From Hollow Words,” or “With Broken Wings.” I’ve liked Ingested for a while, now. And this new album is awesome! Technical, brutal Death Metal with Deathcore at it’s core. It is a winning combination! What a great record from Ingested!

Rating: 9/10!! Great riffs! Brilliant drumming! And awesome vocals! A perfect Death Metal/Deathcore combination!!

Favorite Songs: Sea of Stone, Echoes of Hate, Tides of Glass

Stay Metal,

THE SAW