Album Review: Deathraw – Reduced to Ashes

Band: Deathraw
Title: Reduced to Ashes
Label: Independent
Release date: February 13th, 2026
Country: France
Format reviewed: High-Quality Digital Recording

Album Review: Deathraw – Reduced to Ashes by Sílvia

Deathraw is a band quite new, founded in 2025; they released their debut EP a few weeks ago, consisting of five tracks of relentless thrash metal. Heavy riffs do their harsh attack while drums run at a fast pace, all seasoned with the pulsating bass lines, always a delight for those of us who don’t like this instrument to be buried in the background.

The guitar player does a very expert work, he was in another French thrash metal band named Dead Tree Seeds and it’s obvious he’s not a newcomer in the scene, the solos are quite technical and riffs are fast and sharp. There’s a guest appearance by Ol Drake (from Evile) playing a solo in the last song, “Post Human”, that’s an enjoyable extra.

Vocals are harsh and quite clear, and there’s an undeniable influence of USA bands from the 80s, both in the vocal performance and in the songs composition, mixed with some extra technical display. As a result of this, I’ve been enjoying this EP all the times it’s been spinning at house.

Lyrics talk about the fight against oppressive power forces, the end of our civilisation, a collapse of society and a new world order emerging after the annihilation of all. The collapse of the human era and the rise of technologic intelligence. Pretty accurate, it’s a reflection of all things going on in the world nowadays…

The cover art is a very impressive image: a city destroyed and engulfed by flames, all in red, four apocalyptic figures with their gas masks on and carrying rifles to annihilate all the remaining survivors, while a helicopter flies over the ruins in surveillance; it seems there’s not much life there… The sharp letters of the logo in yellow, stained in blood, fits perfectly the imagery of total destruction. All is done by Eric Walzer, the vocalist/bassist in the band.

These songs invite you to mosh; the riffs are catchy, the drums are triggered and you know it’s time to shake your head and your entire body. I can see this band delivering a great live set, intense and with no remorse. I’ll have my ears on alert to see what they’ll be doing in the future. 8/10

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8/10 To Greatness and Glory!
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