Album Notes

Ashen Reign is about the feeling you got the first time you discovered metal and it hit you that there was something else out there besides what was spoon fed through the radio and TV. The drive, the emotions you felt from hearing those powerful guitars and driving drums. The vocals that would sound like crap on any other form of music, but fits so well with the aggressive, loud and intricate guitars. I'm not talking that gritty bluesy sloppy whiskey rock sound of the 70's, but the balls out, full on wall of melody and precision, that is the Ashen Reign kind of metal.

Brent McDaniel was born in the swamplands, grew up with long Saturday nights sneaking beers as the rest of the family jammed with box guitars, whiskey jugs and washboards to old Hank Williams and Porter Wagner songs. Growing up around music, gators, Budweiser and Gumbo it seemed like everyone in the family could play or sing well, it was bound to rub off. It did.

Just not the old country folk song way, he needed something with more substance and aggression, something that would allow him to release his creativity and branch out. After discovering the likes of Loudness, Krokus, Iron Maiden, and Priest, it changed his life. Then he stumbled across Yngwie Malmsteen and it was on. He bought a guitar and set out to conquer it. (I know this sounds like a Foreigner song, except I swear there is no Jukebox) But turns out, you never conquer it, it's a life long quest.

Traveling the world (21 countries in all), jamming with bands throughout high school until relocating to Tokyo Japan and jamming with various bands in Japan, it helped shape the sound and aggression that Ashen Reign tries to spew on the guitar, drums, bass and vocals. Whatever makes the song work is what will be done. If the song calls for it, then so be it, if not, then it doesn't.

Ashen Reign believes in one thing: The Loyalty and Love of Metal. It's always been there for us and we want to be there for it. We have no grand illusions about "making it", we've already "made it" and it's here to share with you. The only reason for making this CD and all that goes with it was simply to share what the band loves with the world. Nothing more, nothing less. Ashen Reign loves Metal and wants to help it stay strong.

Ashen Reign may have done the album on their own, but did NOT cut corners. It's much better to buy a CD that has the lyrics and a booklet, so that's exactly what the band made. It is a full color, 8-page booklet and quality retail ready pressed CDROM. It cost more, but they would rather offer a quality made CD than some cheap burned CDR or a 1-page insert to the CD. So rest assured, the CD "IS" the real deal.

So that is Ashen Reign.

Spread the Metal
Spread the Reign
The Ashen Reign
m/

"One can feel him loosing himself in his guitar, and note after note after note, playing the kind of metal that never gets old." -Franco Wissa, Hardrock Haven