Asira – As Ink in Water
Release Date: 14th November 2025
Label: Self Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Blackened Progressive Metal
FFO: Amiensus, Astronoid, Deadly Carnage, Alcest, Steven Wilson, Opeth, Devin Townsend, Soen.
Review By: Aeons Burning
The term “progressive metal” has encompassed a lot throughout the years, and it seems every year there’s a new band or a returning band that defies the simplistic genre-pigeonholing of the term. Take Asira, for example. Their debut Efference, back in 2017, encompassed a gamut of sounds spanning from blackgaze to at points choral music and even the blues. I was particularly fascinated with their dreamy sound, and I honestly had no idea they were releasing their long-awaited follow-up until recently. As Ink in Water further takes their already amorphous sound and reshapes it to be an even dreamier record, not unlike Deadly Carnage, with small hints of emotionally-charged blackgaze scattered throughout.
The majority of how Asira tackles songwriting on As Ink in Water is done by incorporating dreamy post-rock stylings with main vocalist Jack Reynolds’ glorious voice, and the result is much moodier than the colorful cover would suggest. Clarity is my personal favorite on As Ink in Water, and the shifting from major to minor scales throughout is wonderfully executed – this is not a record where you can instantly digest everything happening, as on first listen you will miss the frankly genius songwriting talents of Asira at work. That being said, where there are plenty of dreamy, almost Astronoid-ian moments, there are also plenty of emotionally charged blackgaze fury as well. Cauterise is a prime example, another highlight on the album. This is a lot harsher than the prior songs, and shows that Asira excel at multiple methods of approaching how they write songs. The result is a wonderfully cohesive record that on paper should feel disjointed, but doesn’t, and I’m finding myself picking it up “just one more time” after each spin.
Normally I’d be annoyed at the interludes on a record such as this, but I find them to be solid bridges rather than hindrances. Asira have gone above and beyond on As Ink and Water, and I can confidently say that in a November as stacked (I mean come on, Qrixkuor, Glorious Depravity, Kostnateni, and that’s just the first week) as this, this will be another record that’s in contention for a monthly favorite list. I implore anyone who likes the dreamier side of progressive metal interspersed with the more emotionally charged side of blackgaze to give As Ink in Water a shot, because with this record, Asira have cemented themselves as a band to really keep your eyes on in the future.
(4 / 5)
