The term supergroup is one I hesitate to use, as it so often evokes images of inflated egos and uneasy creative compromise, the latter often exacerbated by managerial interference. However, when a new project emerges that comprises Daniel Ash (Bauhaus), Bruce Smith (PiL), and Paul Spencer Denman (Sade), there’s really no other term that fits the bill. This new project, enigmatically named Ashes and Diamonds, finds these three artists drawing upon their years of service to rock ‘n’ roll to create an album that, even in these increasingly cynical heard-it-all times, feels both fresh and unique.
A twelve-track album, forged in the fires of the COVID lockdowns (and ending with the haunting 2020 in consequence), the cheekily titled Are Forever is an impressive ensemble piece that consistently surprises, even when you take the storied history of its members into account, making it one of the year’s stand-out releases.
Emerging from the sound of sirens, Hollywood hardly paints a pleasant picture of the titular neighbourhood. With Daniel’s haunting vocals and a subtle, somnolent beat, it’s a remarkable opening to the album, drawing on trip hop, gothic rock, and post-rock to deliver a textured, evocative piece of music that draws the listener into the heart of Ashes And Diamond’s eerie, haunted world. Immediate follow up Teenage Robots takes a starker, more electronic approach – one part Depeche Mode one part Sisters of Mercy, it’s got a sleazy pulse to it that is impossible to ignore. Better still is the sleaze-grind of On A Rocka, the sort of track that Marilyn Manson would happily have deployed during his Mechanical Animals era, it throws elements of glam into the industrial grinder, as Daniel adds layer upon layer of guitar into the mix. In contrast, the nimble On whispers disconcertingly in your ear as industrial pulses fly through the mix, once again tapping into the night-time world of the Sisters of Mercy, throwing in just a touch of Pixies along the way.
A huge, goth-disco anthem with a Bowie undercurrent, Boy Or Girl finds ethereal, crooning vocals nailed down hard by Bruce Smith’s relentless beat. Addictive to a point that it should come bearing a health warning, in a just world, Boy Or Girl would be ravaging the charts. As it is, it’s a mini masterpiece that will burn up the stereos of those that know. Slowing the pace The A Listers returns to the world of Depeche Mode circa Songs Of Faith And Devotion as Daniel moans that he’s “mixing business with pleasure” over Paul Spencer Denman’s skeletal bassline.
Rather more energetic is the surprisingly upbeat Plastic Fantastic, which, with its acoustic guitar and tremolo laden flourishes sounds like a cross between Bowie and Pulp. No such warmth can be found amidst the frozen synths of Ice Queen, which wreaths its semi-spoken word vocals in reverb to further distance the band from the listener.
Somewhat more schizophrenic is Setting Yourself Up For Love. A monochrome track initially built around a heavy industrial bassline, it suddenly leaps into multi-coloured life with a glam-infused chorus that comes out of nowhere. Another album higjhlight, Alien Love finds shards of guitar raining down upon the listener before the spirit of Bowie is re-awakened and sent stumbling into Nine Inch Nails’ rehearsal room for Champagne Charlie – a track that finally goes over the top with its jazz-infused sax finale.
It leaves one final track to bring this impressive album to an end. Haunted and lost in a heart-broken post-punk world, 2020 captures the isolation of that dark year, the slow pace creating the necessary space for Daniel’s heavily processed guitar to bring the track to a cathartic climax.
Featuring twelve perfectly arranged pieces, Are Forever is a genuine treasure that ebbs and flows from its crackling start to its haunting finish. As you might imagine from these three veterans, the album is beautifully produced, and it sounds absolutely stunning – to turn it up loud is to lose yourself entirely in the world the band have so meticulously constructed.
Supergroup? Don’t let such a potentially pejorative term put you off, Ashes And Diamonds are the real deal and Are Forever is hopefully just the start of a beautiful partnership. 9.5/10
