Silver Ash – REBORN (review)

J-Rock Reviews

Silver Ash
REBORN

Review by Jen Wang

JRock247-Silver-Ash-REBORN

Chinese visual kei band Silver Ash has returned from their eight-year hiatus with a vengeance. Their new single REBORN contains only one song, but that’s all the band needs to make their intentions clear. They have evolved, and they are ready to take on a global audience.

“REBORN” has an ambient beginning that crescendos with the increasingly pulsing drum beat. Just as the song sounds like it’s going to be a techno number, the heavy guitar riffs break through. Ah, there’s the rock band many have grown to love throughout the years. Despite the clichéd inclusion of dubstep with the guitars, Silver Ash has found the perfect balance of electronica and rock.

The verses return to the ethereal background vocals and drum-and-bass rhythm of the intro. The soft, heavenly sound provides a dramatic contrast to the aggressive, riff-filled chorus, giving Ling’s mantra, “I am now reborn, I am back from hell”, even more of a punch. He’s so full of conviction that one has to wonder if hell is where the band spent the past few years.

Regardless of where they have been, Silver Ash is clearly looking to the future with REBORN. They are determined to break out of their “Chinese glam rock band” label by having English lyrics and being committed to experimenting with new sounds. It will be interesting to see more of the evolution and their journey into new musical territory.

Silver Ash website
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