Album Review: Static Tension – Ashes to Animation (Buried By Sky Records)

As a follow up to their 2017 EP “Out Of Reach”, Static Tension has re-emerged with their first full-length album “Ashes To Animation”, which is set for release on the 11th January 2019. The Southern Ohio based quartet delves into new musical territories with the release, offering a full pallet of sounds ranging from soft acoustics to intricate, progressive metal riffs.

Referring to themselves as progressive grunge, Static Tension certainly showcase the latter on opener, Kindling. The downbeat melody and pained vocals sound very much what one might expect from modern grunge.

If that made you grimace, fear not. There is plenty more to this four-piece as Bury My Body hits high notes complex riffs and booming percussion. Backed up by vocals that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Alice in Chains record. It’s got groove though and that brings a smile to my face.

Elsewhere, In Spite’s passionate melody and frantic finish impresses, Got to Give is a heavy hitter in regards to potential mass appeal and Serpentine is captivating with a constantly shifting focus.

The moody grunge sound makes a return on Black Silhouette before Where’s the Air? chucks out really chunky sounding riffs that would work better if the vocals weren’t so dominant here. They’re not bad but they are familiar and that begins to wear thin by time we reach the latter stages of the record.

As good as Ashes to Animation can be, there is one over-riding though and that is that it’s all just a bit boring at times.

Static Tension – Ashes to Animation Full Track Listing:

1. Kindling
2. Bury My Body
3. No Return
4. In Spite
5. Absence
6. Got to Give
7. Serpentine
8. Black Silhouette
9. Where’s the Air?
10. Bloody Shadow

Ashes to Animation will be available digitally on Bandcamp here as well as the usual places. Find out more/keep up to date with news by checking out their Facebook Page.