heavy-metal-darkness: Ashen Sun |Velarium |Desert Plain Records

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Ashen Sun |Velarium |Desert Plain Records

Release Date March 27^th, 2026
Format Digital/CD
Genre Gothic Metal
Country Sweden

Ashen Sun is a dark musical entity born from the mind of Johnny Hagel, the former bassist and co-writer of legendary Swedish acts Tiamat and Sundown. Hagel handles the architecture of this solo project entirely on his own, operating completely in the shadows. Forged during a period of total isolation in 2024, the music channels themes of inner decay, societal collapse, and the inevitable fading out of humanity. The sound merges classic 90s gothic metal with freezing cold-wave synths and cinematic electronics. Now, this solitary vision materializes with the release of the new EP, "Velarium".

Listening to "Velarium" drops you right into a post-apocalyptic wasteland where everything is covered in ash and ruin. The electronic textures wrap around traditional gothic rock instrumentation, creating an absolutely freezing sonic landscape. Hagel brings heavy basslines and hypnotic drum programming to the front of the mix. Synths weave through the tracks, adding a harsh, robotic coldness to the whole thing. The vocals push a bleak narrative full of broken promises, unending war, and absolute cynicism toward human connection. The guitar work provides a distorted, grinding undercurrent to the electronic elements, scraping against your eardrums.

This six-track release operates strictly in the dark, offering zero light or redemption for the listener. Tracks like "Black Thoughts" and "Ashes Of The World" pound away with an industrial-tinged rhythm, punishing your speakers. The lyrics paint pictures of cities turning to smoke, relationships rotting into toxic bonds, and dead people infiltrating dreams. Hagel approaches the writing with pure spite. It is music built for empty rooms and pitch-black nights. The pacing stays deliberate, dragging the listener through a wasteland of discarded faith and broken vows.

The EP maintains a depressing, claustrophobic atmosphere across its entire runtime. The electronic and metal elements fuse into an oppressive soundscape. The production at Studio Dark Room keeps the shadows intact, making sure nothing shines too bright. There are moments where the programmed drums sound a little stiff, and the relentless gloom gets monotonous. It gives fans of dark alternative music a deeply cynical sonic nightmare to get lost inside, making the score an accurate reflection of its current form.

Score: 7.5