Starting anew. Rising from the ashes. A rebirth. You've heard it all before, but the sentiment lives on for a reason: When someone needs to start fresh, it's worth acknowledging and celebrating.
SLC metal band Harvest of Ash is doing just that with their new album Castaway, an album that symbolizes more than just a new music release, but a return to form for the band. Guitarist/vocalist Pepper Glass and drummer Mike DiTullio have been rocking together since the pandemic reared its ugly head. The two had played other genres of music, but came together because of their interest in playing a heavier metal sound. The two clicked, and the rest was history, as they say.
Along with previous bassist Jimi Jamez, the trio released their debut EP Deadlights in 2020, followed by Ache and Impulse in 2022. Castaway is a fresh start after some hard times, and Glass and DiTullio are excited for this new era of Harvest of Ash.
"It's always both a very fulfilling thing, but also kind of a scary thing, to push your little baby out of the nest and let the rest of the world hear it," Glass says. "It's been a journey of new members, a long time writing songs, figuring out our direction and what we wanted to do for this one."
"There was a couple of long spans of time in the last couple of years where I couldn't play drums because I had a couple of injuries," DiTullio adds. "Then we found ourselves without a bass player, so we just decided to work on writing all the new songs, just the two of us for the most part." Glass and DiTullio have since recruited Ben Dodds on bass, bringing them back to a trio.
Harvest of Ash describe the writing and recording of Castaway on their BandCamp page as "a dark time for the band," but its release is symbolizing the group coming back into the light.
"[Castaway] was definitely related to some personal issues I've been dealing with, and issues surrounding COVID, and changes in my life where things kind of felt like they were falling apart and unraveling," Glass explained. "This album reflects that, it's about coming out of that."
Glass also touches on how metal can often be misconstrued as being very negative and scary, but like any other form of art, it's a great way to express yourself and your feelings.
"This is a very positive record, and it's talking about reaffirming who you are and reaffirming your value in the world and what you can give to others, and your place in the world," Glass said. "That's really the main theme of the record ... this of self-growth, but also acknowledging the dark times and the darkness and realizing that those things are all part of the trip and all part of the journey through life."
Harvest of Ash are masters at creating this immersive, sludgy and epic metal sound on their music. Castaway is not only a marker for the band coming out of hard times, but it's also a showcase of their talent—and it represents the band at their best. Their previous works are good, but there's something special about this one.
Castaway opens with the title track, and will have you trudging through their doom/post-metal sound with them, marching steadily to the beat as the melodic sound envelops you. Sometimes metal is very heavy and very fast, and that's good, but it's also good to slow down a bit and really take in the chugging chords and really sink your teeth in.
"Lyrically, [Castaway] charts a journey from self-criticism and feelings of rejection to being happy with who you are and what you have become as a person," the band describes on BandCamp. "A main theme of the work is the idea of 'amor fati,' or love of fate. This is the notion of living life in an authentic way, embracing every decision and path taken—good and bad—as uniquely your own, that you would do everything the same way again. This makes Castaway a deeply personal statement about when you feel the bottom has dropped out of your life, and reclaiming value in yourself during these times."
When Castaway releases in March, Harvest of Ash are hoping the takeaway from the album will be personal for listeners, just as it was for them in its creation.
"We're trying to get to where someone can listen and take something away or feel attached toward, saying, 'Oh, that connects with me. I was feeling that as well,'" Glass emphasized.
Castaway will be out everywhere Friday, March 7, and on the following day Harvest of Ash will be at Aces High Saloon playing a release show with local metal acts Glossa and Huldra. This epic lineup is not one to be missed, so be sure to mark your calendars. Even though Castaway isn't being released for a couple months, it's well worth the wait.
Glass and DiTullio put their all into this album, and it's definitely something you need to experience for yourself.