Does anybody remember Johnny Hagel? You know, the bassist who kept popping up here and there on this zine. Most notably on records sponsored by an ancient incarnation of Tiamat and – yes – more recent Sorcerer, too. But since then, he seemed to have taken a deep dive. Like them anal nuclear subs that disappear into nowhere.
Thus, the RMR crew was mighty surprised to see him emerging astride a Gothic Rock gig called Ashen Sun. One that wallows darkly in echoes of dystopian melancholy, electronica-driven Darkwave without the bodices, and soft-spoken messages of fire and brimstone. In other words, Velarium, the namesake of the ancient Roman shade-giver, sails relatively close to places End of Green, Locus Noir, or – again – Asgaard already visited.
The RMR crew found it captivating how this small blurb artfully circles back to the gothic movement of the ’90s. And the band does this with some reasonably meaty, yet oldish and synth-heavy goth beats. The restraint is, however, pretty astonishing. But it also sails a tad too close to the style of Tiamat’s 2012 piece The Scarred People.1 Meaning, Velarium just about avoided descending into a series of boring, smoothly polished repetitions. A true feature of the aforementioned record.
That said, there’s a lot that speaks for spending a while in one of rock’s more subdued territories. The vicious lyrics and quiet anger rolling off the Darkwave-ish vibes of Black Thoughts left us wondering. The quiet desperation on Ashes of the World contrasts heavily with a somber, Rammstein-infused, and powerful tapestry of moods and flavors. But the RMR crew took a fancy to the richly embroidered and well-balanced Velarium, the title track. This slow-marching song embedded in mourning strings and an ethereal choir reminded me of Panopticon’s late musings to a point. A perfect ending to an impressive EP, one would think.
If only Dreaming of the Dead hadn’t spoiled all the fun. A meandering filler, full of ever-returning repetitions and no added value whatsoever. But aside from the aforementioned negative, Velarium remains an amazingly sturdy example of well-crafted Gothic Rock melancholy. One that makes us wonder what Hagel will produce next.
Label: Desert Plain Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 27 March 2026
- Edlund’s last real record. -Ed.-↩