Emerging from the fusion of doom, death, and black metal, Ashen Pall has carved a raw and uncompromising identity. With their debut album The Elegy of Waning Mortality and the follow-up EP False Idol, Hollow Crown, the band has quickly shown both depth and evolution, blending bleak atmospheres with crushing intensity. In this interview, Jesse Ellytt (vocals) opens up about their formation, influences, and the path that lies ahead.
Serial metalbums: Can you start by introducing Ashen Pall to our readers—how the band was formed, the story behind its creation, and what initial vision or ideas brought you together as a unit?
Jesse Ellytt: Ashen Pall has come together in several phases, evolving significantly since its inception. Ryan, the founder, came from an electronic bass music background but wanted to explore metal. He created Ashen Pall’s first single, which caught my attention. As someone a bit older and new to the scene, I reached out to collaborate. We began working on the first EP, with about five songs completed. However, just as Alex was joining, Ryan decided to shift toward a black metal style, rewriting everything. Alex agreed with this direction, and together they crafted the rhythm and lead guitar parts. With Eric joining on bass, our first EP was born, followed by our debut album, The Elegy of Waning Mortality. After a few shows and a crisis that almost broke us apart, we reformed and added Mike to the mix—leading to the creation of False Idol, Hollow Crown.
Serial metalbums: Your sound weaves together elements of Doom, Death, and Black Metal, always with a raw and uncompromising aesthetic—was this a deliberate artistic choice from the beginning, or something that naturally emerged as you refined your identity as a band?
Jesse Ellytt: The black metal elements are a modern sound we love, the death metal comes naturally through Ryan’s frantic rhythm compositions, and doom is something we all gravitate toward. In fact, we might be leaning even more into doom in the future. This blend wasn’t fully intentional at first—it’s something that emerged naturally as we refined our identity as a band.
Serial metalbums: The name Ashen Pall carries a very evocative and somber tone—can you tell us about the meaning behind it, and how you feel it reflects the essence of your music and lyrical concepts?
Jesse Ellytt: To me, Ashen Pall represents the darker aspects of life—death, despair, and the harsh realities of existence. Our focus is on creating music that’s raw and intense, steering clear of overly positive or uplifting lyrics. Instead, we aim to stir something deeper and challenge the status quo. I draw a lot of inspiration from gnostic texts and mythology, particularly the story of Yaldabaoth, the demiurge who created the world with ignorance, arrogance, and rage.
Serial metalbums: Earlier this year, you released your debut full-length The Elegy of Waning Mortality, a work that feels both crushing and atmospheric—what was the creative process behind the album, and what emotions or ideas were you hoping to capture through it?
Jesse Ellytt: We’re proud of The Elegy of Waning Mortality. It was the culmination of our first phase as a band—a studio-driven project that allowed us to shape and refine our sound. The writing and recording process was intense, and it captured the mood we were in at the time: bleak, heavy, and searching. The album represents that early vision, though in hindsight it feels like the groundwork for where we were about to go next.
Serial metalbums: Not long after, you surprised listeners by releasing another work, the EP False Idol, Hollow Crown—what motivated you to bring out new material so soon after the album, and how do you see this EP fitting into your broader artistic journey?
Jesse Ellytt: When we started performing live, we realized we needed recorded drums instead of programmed tracks. Ryan stepped up and learned to play drums for our songs in just a month, which brought a whole new energy to the band. Adding live drums and vocal lyrics unlocked a level of intensity and creativity that just wasn’t present before. The EP also marks Mike’s arrival on rhythm guitar. All of that made False Idol, Hollow Crown feel like the true beginning of Ashen Pall’s second chapter—one centered on performance and immediacy, not just the studio.
Serial metalbums: In terms of sound and atmosphere, how would you describe the main contrasts between The Elegy of Waning Mortality and False Idol, Hollow Crown, and what do these differences reveal about the evolution of Ashen Pall within just a few months?
Jesse Ellytt: The main difference is the addition of recorded drums and vocals, which brought a new level of urgency and depth to our music. False Idol, Hollow Crown feels more refined and performance-driven, whereas Elegy reflects a more insular studio approach. The contrast shows that we’re constantly evolving, pushing ourselves forward, and embracing new creative directions.
Serial metalbums: Extreme metal often draws from both musical and non-musical influences—what artists, traditions, or even philosophical and literary sources have most shaped the atmosphere and lyrical content of Ashen Pall?
Jesse Ellytt: I’m heavily influenced by gnostic texts and mythology, particularly the story of Yaldabaoth. Beyond that, I draw inspiration from cosmic throat singers like Matthew Kocel and Alexey Khovalev, as well as bands like Tengger Cavalry. These influences help shape both our lyrical themes and the atmosphere we strive to create within our music.
Serial metalbums: Having already delivered both a full album and an EP within the same year, what lies ahead for Ashen Pall—are you now turning your focus to live performances, future recordings, or perhaps exploring new creative directions that listeners have not yet seen from you?
Jesse Ellytt: That’s exactly it—our immediate focus is on live performance. We’re also reworking some of the Elegy material to add vocal lyrics, and we plan to release a new EP with live performances of our songs, plus a couple of bonus Black Sabbath covers. We’ll sit down to write a new album as well, though not right away.