‘Nach act stunden, ein erniedrigtes ein geknechtetes, ein verlassnes, ein verächtlichtes, wesen’ / ‘After eight hours, a humiliated, an enslaved, an abandoned, a despised being’ (Guillotine)

Vienna’s Pettersson first took their bow back in 2016 with their debut LP, Rift And Seam, and Ashen Plain marks their return after what proved a longer than expected hiatus.  The band continue to meld furious, melody laced eruptions of emotional hardcore with the calm of more contemplative passages, proving subtly adept at flowing between the two, not least due to some notably limber stick work.

The album naturally splits into two quite distinct phases.  It commences with three tightly honed eruptions, including ferocious opener Lighthouse, before the reflective instrumental κατά σποδελὸν λειμῶνα (By The Spoonful) heralds a shift to a more expansive palette with Kaleidoskop (Kaleidoscope) proving a particular highlight.  The passionately raw vocals veer between English, German, French, and Danish, often deploying more than one in any given song, while exploring themes that span emotional loss to the bleak realities of the modern workplace.