The Flesheaters - Ashes of Time

 

I've followed Chris D's career since his time as a punk rock writer through the Flesheaters and Divine Horsemen and seen and played shows with him numerous times over the years. I'm not quite sure what criteria he uses to determine what band name he will be using as both combos have had a revolving cast of characters that rarely seem to stay the same. He always finds quality players though and I suppose he simply likes to mix things up and get different musical viewpoints. This CD is a compilation of recordings done in the mid-to-late 90's with members that I am not overly familiar with, but they do manage to imbue the proceedings with the proper FE feel.

This starts off with powerfully crunchy guitar chords for the rockin' "Salty Black Water" and on this outing, Chris uses no less than 3 women for some excellent backing vocals - Julie Christensen, natch, along with Erika Wear and Juanita Myers. A nicely fuzzy guitar riff (there's 4 people on guitars on this record, so no idea which one is riffin') starts off "Crosseyed Butterfly" (gotta dig Chris' imagery!) and machine gun drum rolls give a great accent to the breaks while the guitars continue to crunch'n'punch, "Kisses Draw Blood" has another interesting guitar lick and vaguely "Teen Spirit"-ish rhythms along with more cool backing vocals, dark, growly, somewhat bluesy guitars highlight the upbeat "Red Spell Spells Red", "Mourning Becomes You" starts with some startling drum rolls and a basic 2-chord progression and plenty of vocal interplay, another 2-chord, riff'n'progression in "Blood Wedding" but then we get a truly interesting, off-kilter lick for "House Amid the Thickets" that is enhanced by some lamenting organ work and a powerful break reminiscent of early FE works, somehow, and also reminds me a little of the Downliner Sect!. Definitely a fave of this record, with some of the best guitar sounds, too!

Can't place it, but they definitely stole a 70' riff for the basis of "Double Snake Bourbon" (again, dig the word play), which certainly isn't a bad thing in my book, and they blatantly steal Ten Years After, of all groups, for the rockin' blues of "Gate of Flesh". Chris was never afraid to wear his influences on his proverbial sleeve, whether it be covering early Fleetwood Mac, stealing from the Sonics, or this one! It's a great tune, regardless of the obvious (to me, anyway) steal! They slow down a little for "Evil Flower" with its hypnotically revolving progressions, then practically boogie for "Cut Down the Setting Sun", although it's a bit meandering. They're slow'n'moody in "Nobody Lives Forever" , mid-tempo for "Black-and-Blue Bird" that has some nice violin work that really enhances the tune as well as a cool drum'n'bass breakdown, then a fast-paced, oft-kilter rhythm for "My Love Has Been Burning" that has some hip fuzz and cool backing vocals, and the finish off with "Crucified Lovers", another fairly mid-tempo rocker.

Sometimes the song structures are so simplistic, and the songs are fairly lengthy in order to make room for the lyrics, that the tunes are not overly memorable and I feel that there could be more hook-y instrumental touches at times. There's certainly some excellent FE work here, but I think it also could have used a little trimming, or, at least, a little extra musical flourishes here'n'there. Nit-pickin', I suppose, but a worthy effort, nonetheless.