We're halfway through now, but Ashen Horde's The Harvest is still one of the most interesting and impressive albums I've heard in 2026. So, not only was I psyched to premiere the lyric video for the record's climactic title track, but also figured they'd be perfect candidates for our Anatomy Of series, where we get bands to break down their influences.
Indeed, Ashen Horde have made for one of the most intriguing and enlightening contributions to the series. It's surprising not to see Opeth, Death or Atheist—who I pointed out as comparisons in my original write-up—show up among their influences, and these would still definitely be the band's I'd appeal to if I was trying to sell someone on the band (as i am here, if you haven't checked it out already. However, it's even more satisfying to be let in on such a passionately personal and suitably eclectic set of influences that go into making the melting pot that is "The Harvest".
Check out the video and album below, then keep scrolling to get antiquated with its impressive list of unexpected ingredients.
Trevor Portz (guitar, bass, backing vox)
The Wildhearts – Earth Vs the Wildhearts (1993)
I always reference The Wildhearts when asked about influences, since they changed the way I think about songwriting, and drove the “don’t worry about a specific genre” attitude that has been at the core of Ashen Horde since the beginning. Earth Vs the Wildhearts blew my mind when i first heard it. I’d seen the video for "Suckerpunch" on Headbanger’s Ball, and thus expected a melodic thrash/punk record, but it was so much more. It was rock, punk, pop and metal, often going from one to the next in the same song. The melodies were perfect, and the lyrics were smart and funny. As a fan of all sorts of styles, it was like I’d found an album written just for me. IMO, Ginger Wildheart is the greatest songwriter alive today.
Cannibal Corpse – Vile (1996)
I started getting into death and black metal via a couple compilation tapes and cds. The music was heavy, brutal and kind of scary, and all of that very much appealed to my 17-year-old self. Cannibal Corpse's “Mummified in Barbed Wire” really stood out, so they were the first death metal band I dug into. Vile went into constant rotation, and definitely influenced me as a burgeoning guitarist and writer. Whenever I play a riff based on a minor third hammer/pull, it’s because of them.
Fu Manchu – The Action Is Go (1997)
Weird as it may sound, I really wasn’t into Black Sabbath and doom-esque stuff growing up. It wasn’t until I discovered Kyuss’ Welcome to Sky Valley (1994) that I fell in love with riff-heavy sludginess. But I feel like everyone cites that record, so I’m going to give Fu Manchu a proper shout-out. Admittedly, I checked them out due to Brant Bjork’s involvement, but one play made me a fan. Honestly, the first bars of "Evil Eye" were probably all it took! It was the fuzzy, low-tuned sound I’d gotten hooked on, but with Kiss, Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple and punk driving it. Plus, as a wannabe skater, that cover was pretty damn cool. They’re still excellent, but their first four records are riff rock perfection for me.
Einherjer – Dragons of the North (1996)
I picked this album up on a whim at the Milwaukee Metalfest in the 90s. I didn’t know anything about the band, but dug the cover and Viking imagery. The music was very different from the black-metal adjacent Viking metal I was used to. It was much more rhythm focused and heavy, and I loved it. While think Blot (2003) is absolute peak Einherjer, they’ve continually put out excellent albums for the last 30+ years. There’s a track on the first Ashen Horde album with a very Einherjer-inspired riff—see if you can spot it!
Brutal Truth – Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses (1992)
I first checked out Brutal Truth because of Danny Lilker’s involvement. I obviously knew him from Anthrax, SOD and Nuclear Assault. But at the time I grabbed this, I’d only just started dabbling in death and black metal. Thus, every extreme record I picked up was a different kind of revelation. This album is actually more death metal than grind IMO, but I loved the chaos of it. The blasts seemed next-level to me! Plus, it had socially conscious lyrics, which I was more interested in than the pure gore stuff. I remember meeting Gurn at Milwaukee Metalfest (possibly the same one referenced above), and I asked him to sign my "Godplayer" 7”. He was like, “Where did you get this? I don’t even have a copy!” So he promptly ran to the Earache booth to grab one for himself. I felt pretty cool!
Devin Townsend – Ocean Machine: Biomech (1997)
Bringing it all full circle, I initially got into Devin Townsend via his brief stint in The Wildhearts. I was aware of him through Steeve Vai's Sex & Religion (1993), and believe my brother had come across Strapping Young Lad's Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing (1995), but I didn’t personally get into those records until later. Ocean Machine was a whole different beast. It was epic and melodic, but still heavy and atmospheric. It hit me like a hammer—in a good, non-face-smashing way. This is the record that drove me to try out Open C tuning (CGCGCE), which has been at the core of Ashen Horde ever since. Fun fact: I actually played "Night" at a high school talent show!
Karl Chamberlain (lead vocals)
Soundgarden – Louder Than Love (1989)
Soundgarden started my love affair with music. Chris Cornell had a voice like no other, and my entire life I've spent trying to sing along. The music had odd time signatures that my brain and ear really grabbed onto. The atmospheres they created, the pain that went into it, the freeness of it all. They've always been my favorite band and always will be.
Faith no More – The Real Thing (1989)
Mike Patton has spent his career doing whatever he wants with his voice, and that freedom he has has always been something I've sought out. Faith no More's The Real Thing was one of the first CDs I bought as a kid, and I'll never forget hearing "Surprise, You're Dead" for the first time. It was probably the most aggressive vocalization I had heard to that point in life, and it left me wanting more.
Exhumed – Anatomy is Destiny (2003)
I discovered death metal with Exhumed's Gore Metal (1998) in '99 and taught myself to scream and growl along to that. I didn't realize different people did the high and low vocals until after Anatomy is Destiny came out. I emailed them asking for tips on getting my vocals lower and Matt Harvey responded saying Mike Beams did all the low vocals and he thinks he practiced while riding his bike, while he just drank lots of beer and screamed as abrasively as he could. Nowadays you've got all sorts of tutorials to make crazy sounds with your face all over the internet, but that email response was the extent of training and tips available to me in 2003. To this day, Anatomy is Destiny is my favorite death metal record.
Cephalic Carnage – Anomalies (2005)
Cephalic Carnage are genre-defying in my favorite ways—loaded with humor that proved you could have fun making metal and still write incredible music. And the crushing moments on the album are absolutely CRUSHING. "Piecemaker" starts with one of the grooviest riffs ever written and ends with the listener flattened.
Akercocke – Choronzon (2003)
This is a nearly flawless record. The blend of aggressive screams, unintelligible low growls, and cleans. The unrelenting evil atmosphere. The insane drums, blasts over clean sections, the emotion packed into every instant. And Satan. Can't forget about Satan.
Circle of Dead Children – Exotic Sense Decay (1999)
Joe Horvath's low vocals are still some of the most impressive and emotive that have ever been recorded. Death core kids now are trying to be like Joe. This is easily my favorite EP of all time.