Faintly apt that I'd come across this masterful offering from Billy Howerdel on Steven Wilson's MySpace page. Ashes Divide is basically Billy's solo creation, wherein he wrote all the songs, composed all the music, and played most of the music and instruments, in addition to producing the same album, called Keep Telling Myself It's Alright.
Now for those who don't know, Howerdel is a former member of A Perfect Circle and has worked as a sessions musician with many alternative bands, Smashing Pumpkins being a standout amongst them. The name of the band is somewhat of a confuser, as the band exudes nothing of the nu-metal angst that is usually associated with morbid, almost moribund names that evoke the entrails of a burning ground. On the contrary, the album combines elements of A Perfect Circle, but only to give the listener a feel of Howerdel's imagination and his inherent control of the guitar. He employs numerous loops, FXs and on some tracks, crunching power chords that stand as testaments to Howerdel's capacity as a musician, something that was overshadowed during his stint as APC's guitar-maniac due to the histronics of another superbly talented musician called Maynard James Keenan. Surprisingly, Keenan leaves his mark here as well, in the form of his 13 year old son Devo, who plays cello on one of the tracks. The rest of the musicians are APC veterans, with Josh Freese assuming membrane busting duties and Paz Lenchantin getting back on the 4-string. Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba makes an appearance here as well.
Now getting to the sound, it would be worth mentioning that there are vivid resemblances to 30 seconds to Mars and a little of Chevelle. The APC effect is carried off here, of course, but not in the same vitriolic manner of Thirteenth Step or eMotive. It's more relaxed, prog and blatantly alternative. The single 'The Stone' harks out APC strains, solely because Howerdel wanted the listener to be lured in by the APC sound, from where the person would be taken into a more concrete dimension of expansive guitaring and projectile lyrics. Howerdel is not a great vocalist, but he makes good on this one, carrying off the songs with appropriate aplomb and tenacity. The opener 'Stripped Away' starts with heavy riffs, and progresses into an easy listener. 'Too Late' and 'Forever Can Be' are the tracks of the album , the latter being an emotional ballad that rises from slow acoustic guitar work and metamorphoses into an almost atmospheric orchestral work. These are but 3 of the songs, and the rest of them stand alone on their own credo.
The only con in this album is it's length. At 44 minutes, it packs a lethal punch, but once the 6 and half minute closer is over, you're begging for more. Go get it. Period.
