The Silk Demise – Ashes In Bloom

The Silk Demise – Ashes In Bloom – EP Review

Well would ya look at THIS list of influences?  Massive Attack, DJ Shadow, Sneaker Pimps, and Portishead – all bands that have LIVED on my playlists for about as long as I’ve been writing about music over the course of my twenty-five years.  Seems like The Silk Demise and I have much in common, and that’s always a great place to start before I’ve even pushed play to find out what they sound like.  From what I’ve read in their bio, they choose to bend their Trip-Hop vibes with a bit more Industrial in the mix for ya, which THEY believe has led them to a ‘colder’ sound overall.  I’LL be the judge of that tyvm!  That’s MY job to figure that out, ain’t it?  Someone out there wanted MY opinion on this EP, so let’s push play and see what I think about Ashes In Bloom.

I’m kidding around of course…but to be completely fair, I’ve been informed that this particular record is designed to shift the whole vibe of The Silk Demise…so be ready…this is a whole new dimension of the band’s sound.

I’ll tell ya this much right off the bat…if their title-track is any indication of what The Silk Demise sounds like, they’re in great freakin’ shape.  I’m hearing more of a Post-Rock influence on a song like “Ashes In Bloom” more-so than Industrial, but as I’ve also come to learn, that’s been the genre of interest to the band as of late, so it makes sense that we’d hear that shift away from Industrial when it comes to their latest EP.  Now…I’m not familiar with The Silk Demise myself as this is my first time reviewing their music & all, but I can tell ya that if “Ashes In Bloom” sounds THIS good, that they probably made the right decision.  I’m pretty sure that’s similar to how my own musical evolution went as well to be truthful…I got through all my IDM music like Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Boards Of Canada, DJ Shadow, then I moved over to the whole rack of Post-Rock like Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky, This Will Destroy You and the rest of’em – so I guess from my perspective, you’re probably in-store for a logical evolution in this band’s sound this time around.  It’s good to keep things fresh anyhow, ain’t it?  The Silk Demise has a long resume with a ton of achievements on it, that dates back about twenty-five years in the world according to Spotify – plus the Ashes In Bloom EP is the third record they’ve put out so far in 2025.  One of their other records from this year is a B-sides collection that has music that all predates their first self-titled album.  Anyhow…you get the point…there’s history here inside this project now, and their catalog has grown to fully reflect that.  I’ll put it to you this way – if going for more of a Post-Rock influence was the real goal for this EP, they clearly understood the mission and went after it with full commitment.  I love what I hear in a song like “Ashes In Bloom” – it’s got everything from that low-end potency to the infusion of dynamic synth parts, and within its enveloping sound, you can feel the soul-satisfying melody at the core of it all.  Think of it like looking through a prism to find your favorite color – you know it’s in there somewhere, but before you find it, you probably found dozens more along the way to love just as much.  “Ashes In Bloom” highlights their gift for composition, the quality of their ideas, the professionalism they share, and the kind of high-level execution you want to hear when discovering sensory sound like this.  While at peak intensity, “Ashes In Bloom” will justifiably find its way into the Post-Rock section of your playlists, but at the very start, I’d have sworn they were going for something that’s akin to an intro you’d hear on a record by The Cure with the brilliant combination of mysterious and emotion to fascinate us.  This first cut travels a long distance sonically, and the attention to detail you’ll find is outright staggering.

There were two main things that stood out to me right off the drop as “Eyes On The Exit” began.  One being that The Silk Demise has got a magnificent drum sound goin’ on throughout this track…it’s complex & involved in the right way, and it directly contributes to the interest generated overall.  The second thing was that “Eyes On The Exit” sure seemed comparable to something you’d find in Mogwai – like, heck, the distant melody of the music in the background even sounds close to what you’d hear in a slower version of the vocal melody you’ll find in “Ritchie Sacramento.”  In any event, you’re not going to find me complaining about much if it’s Mogwai your music reminds me of…that’s where I’m at, that’s my jam, and anything similar without being too derivative is likely going to be A-OK with yours truly here.  I freakin’ love the melody in “Eyes On The Exit” – it’s such a stunningly subtle part of this song, but it absolutely stole the show for me.  Considering how many other incredible things are happening within the layers and mix of a song like this, that should tell ya most of what you need to know.  The extended breakdown mid-track on “Eyes On The Exit” was one of those double-edged swords – it’s a good idea, yes – but it’s also getting in the way of me spending time with the melodic part I love most too.  I’ll let it slide on account of the fact that Bill Litshauer wisely brought it back throughout the finale of this second track.  Rest assured, the first two tracks on this EP are AMAZING, and carry more than half of its weight.

Things will get somewhat less consequential for a minute or two as the songs occupy a very short space for the next couple tracks.  Like, “Caesura” for instance – it’s 1:43 in total length, and it’s pretty hard to find any song in that span of time that’s going to do all that much to piss you off.  By the time you’d get mad about something, it’d already be over before you could even put a finger on what that even was.  You regular readers know me…I’m the guy that’ll tell you there’s hardly anything worth doing for less than two minutes on this planet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the roots of an idea.  Do I think that “Caesura” should be longer?  Of course I do!  There’s a lot of great stuff happening here in this idea filled with bendable & malleable sounds…so yes, of course I’d want more of that.  The mix is spot-on, the beat snaps, and all the sounds chiming in around the snare are as mesmerizing as they are engaging in a very thought-provoking, lost-in-the-moment-type of way.  As I like to remind y’all from time to time, I don’t set out to play the role of the bad guy when I’m writing my reviews, but I’m never afraid to call things like I hear’em either…and if wanting MORE of a song makes me the villain, so be it.  The Silk Demise does well here within its short timeframe…I was entertained for the full 1:43, so don’t mistake my commentary for any kind of significant complaint – I like what I hear.  I just want the song to last longer than it took you to read what I wrote about it – is that so bad?  For real folks…the space-like groove at the core of “Caesura” had no problem getting me listening as I spun the EP over this weekend.

“Dyatlov Pass” – I mean…there’s fun history there that you should look up if you’re unfamiliar with the reference.  It’s still considered to be an unsolved mystery to this very day as far as I know.  Whatever the reasons might have been, it resulted in the deaths of nine hikers back in 1959.  Was it paranormal?  Was it the crushing weight of an avalanche?  There are theories abound.  I know people that got consumed by this story – and heck, right here in Vancouver, BC, we had the kickass Post-Rock band Dyatlove makin’ some serious noise in the scene for a few years not too long ago.  One of the most underrated aspects of music overall, is how crucial mood and atmosphere can be to the end results.  Like, you can audibly HEAR the tension in a song like “Dyatlov Pass” – you can feel the seriousness and intensity through every note in this short experience…and it’s really quite something to behold if I’m being honest with ya.  “Dyatlov Pass” is a real highlight for gripping sound, you know what I mean?  Like…I think there would be at least a few people out there that might not even be able to listen to “Dyatlov Pass” without having all the lights on in their house, you feel me?  I mean this all in the best of ways too…that’s the true effect of sensory sound that works – this track practically gets right under your skin and creates this strange feeling of being uncomfortable, but in a way that you genuinely don’t want to disturb either.  So we like, end up sitting completely still while we listen to a song like “Dyatlov Pass,” pretty much afraid to move, lest we interrupt the thick shroud of awesomeness that slides through the speakers like a dark shadow come to life.  I’m a big fan of this song!  Do I want more than 2:11 of it?  You bet your sweet ass I do.

Finishing off the set with an aggressive final cut called “Telomeres” – I think I’d be inclined to tell ya that I didn’t find any significant shortcomings in any corner of this record.  Short tracks, yes – shortcomings, no.  One’s a problem, the other ain’t…so believe me, I’m more than happy with everything I heard on this EP from performance to production.  “Telomeres” has a freakishly fantastic build where the combination of intensity and tension are impossible to ignore.  Do I think there will be the occasional person out there that might have wanted The Silk Demise to detonate a massive explosion of sound on the other side of its continual buildup?  For sure – there are going to be at least a few people out there that feel like “Telomeres” could have found another way to level up rather than fade out from that point…but you’re never going to please everyone in the realms of art & music anyway.  Do what you feel like the song is calling out for…that’s all you can ever do.  In a lot of ways, “Telomeres” is very unflinching…it finds its gear quickly, and remains there, keeping you locked right into the moment.  It’s hard-hitting in the way that you’d expect someone like David Yow to come out roaring something wonderfully incomprehensible at you like “Telomeres” could be a track by the Jesus Lizard with the bold and deadly definition you’ll find in the music…but Bill opts for keeping this as instrumental as the rest have been.  You get what I mean now though, don’t ya?  The Jesus Lizard are nothing but intense…so if a track like “Telomeres” can draw a comparison like that, you get how the music will grab ya.  Or again, you could cite tracks like “My Father, My King” by Mogwai as another comparable tune…at least in part.  That track is what, like twenty minutes long or something?  “Telomeres” is less than three.  So maybe that’s the advice…maybe that’s something that can be said…if the mission is to bend the music towards the Post-Rock sound, those guys are all rockin’ with song-lengths about as long as this entire EP is.  Does the vibe translate as well inside shorter cuts?  The court of public opinion will happily render its verdict on that I am sure.  As for me…I’ll just keep on pushing repeat like I have been until I find a way to get my fill of The Silk Demise’s Ashes In Bloom I suppose…but rest assured, I’m willing to do that because I’ve done nothing but enjoy every moment and song on this EP.  All signs point to this new shift in direction and sound for The Silk Demise being a great move – genuine interest = immersive art, does it not?  This is the sound of what Bill is into right now…and you can hear his passion at the heart of every cut in the lineup.

Find out more about The Silk Demise from the official website at:  https://www.thesilkdemise.com

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