Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

9.1 | 1537 votes |

Release date:	8 August 2006
Style:	Atmospheric black metal, Neofolk
Owners:	1604 have it 137 want it 4 trade it

01. Limbs
02. Falling Snow
03. This White Mountain On Which You Will Die
04. Fire Above, Ice Below
05. Not Unlike The Waves
06. Our Fortress Is Burning... I
07. Our Fortress Is Burning... II - Bloodbirds
08. Our Fortress Is Burning... III - The Grain
09. Scars Of The Shattered Sky (Our Fortress Has Burned To The Ground) [Double LP Vinyl 1000 Copies Limited Edition bonus]

Top 20 albums of 2006: 1
Top 200 albums of all time: 13

Reviews (2)

Lyrics (9)

Line-up
John Haughm - guitars, vocals
Don Anderson - guitars, piano, vocals
Chris Greene - drums
Jason William Walton - bass

Guest musicians
Ronn Chick - piano, ebow

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Staff review by
Dream Taster

Rating:
8.9

In today's world of overplayed musical styles and boring sameness, a few bands stand out as innovators. Agalloch from Portland, Oregon is one of those bands. With their unique blend of Doom, Gothic and elements of Death metal, those musicians managed to break through the US scene with the highly-acclaimed album The Mantle back in 2002. The band witnessed the arrival of Chris Greene taking over drumming duties for John Haughm (who remains very busy with guitars and vocals) while the rest of the lineup is still rounded up by Jason William Walton (bass) and Don Anderson (guitars).

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published 20.06.2006 | Comments (46)

Guest review by
strade

Rating:
8.0

Agalloch's Ashes Against The Grain. Never have I found another release I love so much yet feel so unsatisfied by. There's so much here, yet it feels as if so much is missing. It's so spot on, but I just don't find it a flawless or even exemplary demonstration of the genre in question. I'd call it the perfect musical embodiment of a love/hate relationship. With that said, however, I must admit that I feel a far greater abundance of the former than the latter.

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published 11.03.2012 | Comments (26)

Found in 95 lists
Top lists

Erik M.	My Top 75 Albums Of All Time \| #2 Erik M.
CyberSymphony	Choice Albums Of Atmospheric Metal \| #2 CyberSymphony
~Starchild~	Hall Of Fame: Top 80 Of All Time \| #2 ~Starchild~
Pyramid God	The Epics (Best Songs Over 10 Minutes) \| #28 Pyramid God
saw_you_drown	Classic Metal Albums Of Forever \| #36 saw_you_drown
mz	Mz's Favorite Black Metal Albums \| #4 mz
~Starchild~	The Ultimate Metalgaze/ Ambient/Atmospheric Black Metal + Post Rock/Post Punk List \| #1 ~Starchild~
Starchild	My Favourite Albums Of All Time \| #13 Starchild

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Frodd Account deleted	08.12.2014 - 16:06 Frodd Account deleted Worst album ever. Loading...
InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2623 From: Syria	+2 08.12.2014 - 17:50 Rating: 9 InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2623 From: Syria Written by Guest on 08.12.2014 at 16:06 Worst album ever. I know, YUCK ... especially that awful song Falling Snow ---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself. Loading...
Frodd Account deleted	+5 08.12.2014 - 17:53 Frodd Account deleted Written by InnerSelf on 08.12.2014 at 17:50 Written by Guest on 08.12.2014 at 16:06 Worst album ever. I know, YUCK ... especially that awful song Falling Snow eww Falling Snow, i couldnt listen to it more than 160 times. absolutely appalling. Loading...
InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2623 From: Syria	+1 08.12.2014 - 17:57 Rating: 9 InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2623 From: Syria Written by Guest on 08.12.2014 at 17:53 eww Falling Snow, i couldnt listen to it more than 160 times. absolutely appalling. I was like: "I should absolutely 8 this", but then I thought it's totally not worthy of an 8. ---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself. Loading...
Frodd Account deleted	08.12.2014 - 18:01 Frodd Account deleted Written by InnerSelf on 08.12.2014 at 17:57 I was like: "I should absolutely 8 this", but then I thought it's totally not worthy of an 8. i know right? i bet i could make a better album using nothing but this album and john haughm. Loading...
InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2623 From: Syria	08.12.2014 - 18:06 Rating: 9 InnerSelf proofread free Posts: 2623 From: Syria Written by Guest on 08.12.2014 at 18:01 Written by InnerSelf on 08.12.2014 at 17:57 I was like: "I should absolutely 8 this", but then I thought it's totally not worthy of an 8. i know right? i bet i could make a better album using nothing but this album and john haughm. This band could make use of you as a devoted listener. ---- He who is not bold enough to be stared at from across the abyss is not bold enough to stare into it himself. Loading...
Tyrannical Hero Super Normal Posts: 3426	29.07.2015 - 08:30 Tyrannical Hero Super Normal Posts: 3426 Man, I've forgotten how amazing this album is. ---- Crackhead Megadeth reigns supreme. Loading...
Metren Chameleon Posts: 1057 From: Estonia	12.11.2016 - 01:05 Rating: 8 Metren Chameleon Posts: 1057 From: Estonia After falling in love with The Mantle, this album truly was a disappointment. It's self-indulgent, all over the place with regard to the musical ideas and just plain boring in the final third. All that by Agalloch's own very high standards of course. It's not all bad or even average, there are plenty of brilliant moments here, but just not enough to make it a masterpiece, which it isn, by a long shot. ---- I am not nor have I ever been a musician or a member of a one-man band, especially a band that has a name that starts with "D". Loading...
Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 53051 From: Norway	+4 28.02.2017 - 01:16 Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 53051 From: Norway Gosh if ppl says its worst album ever, Its like voting for trump something ---- Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!! Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die'' I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing Loading...
Jack_Torrance Posts: 65 From: Germany	+2 17.01.2018 - 16:34 Rating: 10 Jack_Torrance Posts: 65 From: Germany Masterpiece. Loading...
Metren Chameleon Posts: 1057 From: Estonia	07.05.2018 - 18:38 Rating: 8 Metren Chameleon Posts: 1057 From: Estonia I've come to like this album a lot more this past year. Still not on The Mantle level though, not that many albums are. ---- I am not nor have I ever been a musician or a member of a one-man band, especially a band that has a name that starts with "D". Loading...
Tyrannical Hero Super Normal Posts: 3426	14.05.2018 - 01:12 Tyrannical Hero Super Normal Posts: 3426 Written by mz on 19.12.2010 at 11:31 Its one of the best metal albums of all and the first album of agalloch that I heard and I really like our fortress is...(II) Agreed ---- Crackhead Megadeth reigns supreme. Loading...
DeathMetal Posts: 335 From: Canada	04.09.2018 - 03:45 Rating: 8 DeathMetal Posts: 335 From: Canada Pretty decent. Loading...
Gothic Metalhead Pro Introvert Posts: 104 From: USA	+1 31.12.2019 - 15:34 Rating: 10 Gothic Metalhead Pro Introvert Posts: 104 From: USA I really am not a fan of agalloch to listen to their entire discography, but ashes against the grain is the only album I love. Truly a masterpiece of atmospheric black/doom Loading...
Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 53051 From: Norway	31.12.2019 - 15:54 Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 53051 From: Norway Written by Gothic Metalhead on 31.12.2019 at 15:34 I really am not a fan of agalloch to listen to their entire discography, but ashes against the grain is the only album I love. Truly a masterpiece of atmospheric black/doom Then you are weird, one of rare bands what play decent music in each albums ---- Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!! Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die'' I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing Loading...
nonZero Posts: 597 From: UK	21.05.2020 - 17:08 Rating: 9 nonZero Posts: 597 From: UK Not as strong as The Mantle, but still an excellent album from start to finish. ---- My Favourite Albums Top 200 Underrated Albums My Favourite Songs (Spotify) Loading...
musclassia Posts: 3250 From: UK	22.05.2020 - 12:36 Rating: 10 musclassia Posts: 3250 From: UK Written by nonZero on 21.05.2020 at 17:08 01. Limbs - 10/10 02. Falling Snow - 10/10 03. This White Mountain On Which You Will Die - 9.5/10 04. Fire Above, Ice Below - 9/10 05. Not Unlike The Waves - 8.5/10 06. Our Fortress Is Burning... I - 8.5/10 07. Our Fortress Is Burning... II - Bloodbirds - 9.5/10 08. Our Fortress Is Burning... III - The Grain - 8.5/10 Overall: 9.2/10 Not as strong as The Mantle, but still an excellent album from start to finish. I definitely wouldn't rate the 2-minute interlude higher than Fire Above, Ice Below and particularly Not Unlike The Waves, but yeah, I think it's a notch below The Mantle whilst being very special (a 9.5 to The Mantle's 10). The Grain has grown on me over time, to the point where I can now at least appreciate its contribution, but more often than not I finish the album with Bloodbirds Loading...
nonZero Posts: 597 From: UK	22.05.2020 - 12:40 Rating: 9 nonZero Posts: 597 From: UK Written by musclassia on 22.05.2020 at 12:36 Written by nonZero on 21.05.2020 at 17:08 01. Limbs - 10/10 02. Falling Snow - 10/10 03. This White Mountain On Which You Will Die - 9.5/10 04. Fire Above, Ice Below - 9/10 05. Not Unlike The Waves - 8.5/10 06. Our Fortress Is Burning... I - 8.5/10 07. Our Fortress Is Burning... II - Bloodbirds - 9.5/10 08. Our Fortress Is Burning... III - The Grain - 8.5/10 Overall: 9.2/10 Not as strong as The Mantle, but still an excellent album from start to finish. I definitely wouldn't rate the 2-minute interlude higher than Fire Above, Ice Below and particularly Not Unlike The Waves, but yeah, I think it's a notch below The Mantle whilst being very special (a 9.5 to The Mantle's 10). The Grain has grown on me over time, to the point where I can now at least appreciate its contribution, but more often than not I finish the album with Bloodbirds It's quite difficult to rate intros, outros and interludes. I try and rate them on their own merit (I think TWMOWYWD works very well at creating atmosphere). I would say that it does a better job of creating atmosphere as an interlude than FA,IB does at being an engaging song, but that's just my opinion ---- My Favourite Albums Top 200 Underrated Albums My Favourite Songs (Spotify) Loading...
RaduP CertifiedHipster Posts: 5644 From: Romania	22.05.2020 - 12:42 RaduP CertifiedHipster Posts: 5644 From: Romania Written by musclassia on 22.05.2020 at 12:36 more often than not I finish the album with Bloodbirds Disgusting ---- Serenity is no longer wishing you had a different past. 2021 goodies Loading...
musclassia Posts: 3250 From: UK	+3 22.05.2020 - 13:04 Rating: 10 musclassia Posts: 3250 From: UK Written by RaduP on 22.05.2020 at 12:42 Written by musclassia on 22.05.2020 at 12:36 more often than not I finish the album with Bloodbirds Disgusting Some days, I just can't be arsed to listen to a full 7 minutes of guitar noise, and I make no apologies for that Loading...
Spawdophonik Posts: 31 From: Germany	05.11.2020 - 16:46 Rating: 9 Spawdophonik Posts: 31 From: Germany I could listen to Falling Snow for hours and not get bored Loading...
metalriff Posts: 105 From: India	15.02.2021 - 17:12 Rating: 10 metalriff Posts: 105 From: India Written by Gothic Metalhead on 31.12.2019 at 15:34 I really am not a fan of agalloch to listen to their entire discography, but ashes against the grain is the only album I love. Truly a masterpiece of atmospheric black/doom Even i feel like none of the other albums sound like this one or even come close. Not that the other releases are bad. Just that they don't strike a chord with me like this one does Loading...