Forged from British grit and Finnish fire, 5 Ash Kills offer up an unpolished, merciless and relentless blackened thrash metal sound that they describe as “fast, brutal and unapologetic.”
The band, from Kent and East Sussex, in the southeast of England, formed through a shared obsession with extreme metal and a refusal to water down their sound. They bonded over fast tempos, savage riffs and desire to push aggressive metal to the next level. And, with a recently revamped lineup that now consists of Timo (guitar and vocals), Kristian (lead guitar and vocals), Dan (bass and vocals) and Lex (drums), 5 Ash Kills are on a mission to launch a “sharper, more unhinged era than ever before.”
On the sound they’ve crafted, Dan told us: “A ruthless blend of thrash and blackened metal – blistering speed, ferocious groove, volcanic riffs, and venom-spitting vocals. It’s raw, aggressive, and rooted firmly in the underground. If you like your metal fast, hostile, and unforgiving, this is for you.”
Our latest taste of this is Blood, which was released last week. It opens up with edgy guitars and drums that continue into a stabbing riff, then intense drums lead into a powerful opening verse led by menacing vocals. That flows into a heavy verse, which gives way to a verse supported by chunky slabs of guitar before picking up pace with vocals alongside piercing guitars. Another dark chorus gives way to a wild guitar solo that slows down over a mass of guitar noise to bring the track to a violent conclusion.
Speaking ahead of its release, Dan said: “We’re beyond excited. Blood is the most savage and unfiltered thing we’ve released so far. It captures exactly who we are right now – no holding back, no compromises. We expect it to hit hard with fans of extreme metal and show just how far the band has evolved with the new lineup.”
Blood follows on from a series of singles and two EPs, Addendum and It Begins, bith released in 2024. And there’s plenty more dark metal goodness to dig into, including the vicious Fabric and the intense Incantation of the Witch from their debut EP.
The 5 Ash Kills sound has been inspired by thrash metal pioneers like Slayer, Testament, Lamb of God, Sepultura and Pantera. As Dan tells us: “Our influences come from the worlds of classic thrash and extreme blackened metal. We draw inspiration from bands that value speed, aggression, and authenticity above all else, especially those rooted in the underground rather than the mainstream.”
And on what inspires them to write music, Dan explains: “The music comes from raw emotion, aggression, and the need to let everything out. Themes revolve around intensity, inner conflict, violence of emotion, and the darker edges of the human experience. It’s about release, confrontation, and refusing to soften the impact.”
There’s plenty more to come from 5 Ash Kills, who are focused on writing and recording new material and taking those songs to the stage. So expect new releases, more shows, and a “louder, more relentless presence.”
And Dan added: “5 Ash Kills are about honesty and extremity. No compromise. No mercy. Just metal. If you’re looking for something raw, aggressive, and unapologetically heavy, stay locked in – this is only the beginning of our most vicious chapter yet.”
You can follow 5 Ash Kills on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud and YouTube.
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