San Francisco’s neoclassical dark ambient quartet AMBER ASYLUM release and stream their new album “Ruby Red” today, on March 7, 2025.
Shop link: http://lnk.spkr.media/amberasylum-rubyred
AMBER ASYLUM comment: “As we navigate the challenges of our time, ‘Ruby Red’ stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a raw and honest reflection on the complexities of existence”, frontwoman Kris Force muses. “Through its haunting melodies and evocative lyrics, we invite listeners to confront the darkness within themselves and the world around them, acknowledging the pain and uncertainty that accompanies the human experience. Yet, even amidst the shadows, our album offers a glimmer of hope – a recognition that through introspection and empathy, we all may find the strength to endure and the possibility of a more compassionate future.”
Tracklist
1. Secrets
2. Ruby Red
3. Demagogue
4. The Morrigan
5. Azure
6. Weaver
7. A Call on the Wind
In times of trouble, women have often had to bear an even heavier burden throughout history. On their tenth full-length “Ruby Red”, San Francisco based all-female quartet AMBER ASYLUM offers a haunting reflection on turbulent eras, and blends instrumental passages with evocative lyrics. “Ruby Red” combines dirges, introspective laments, and powerful songwriting that evoke both despair and hope. The album transitions between themes of pain, loss, empowerment, and mortality, while creating a sonic landscape that is both raw and introspective. “Ruby Red” features bass, classical strings, percussion and kit, modular synthesis and female voices.
“Ruby Red” differs from its predecessor in the expansion of focus and depth. While earlier albums centered more on personal emotions, relationships, and journeys, “Ruby Red” broadens its scope to address global issues such as societal upheaval, war, and human rights. This album navigates both the personal and the global, and aims to illuminate the seen and unseen forces that influence our shared reality.
Musically, AMBER ASYLUM balance driving neoclassical elements with the raw power of pounding bass and drums, adding a potent, rhythmic force that contrasts beautifully with the quieter, brooding strings on “Ruby Red”. The bass and percussion create a compelling pulse that underpins the tracks, adding both intensity and depth to the album’s darker moments.
AMBER ASYLUM have taken inspiration for the lyrical concepts of “Ruby Red” from significant global issues such as the pandemic, riots, war, political turmoil, the threat to women’s rights, and empowerment, all while maintaining a deep connection to the extramundane. It reflects on mortality and the inevitability of death as part of a greater cosmic order, intertwining these global crises with metaphysical reflections on the resilience of the human spirit.
Founded in San Francisco, CA in 1990 by composer, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Kris Force, AMBER ASYLUM have continuously evolved, embracing a diverse range of musical styles. Over the years, the band has collaborated with an array of musicians, including Jarboe (SWANS), Steve Von Till (NEUROSIS), Sarah Schaffer (WEAKLING), John Cobbett (HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE), and Leila Abdul-Rauf (VASTUM), among many others.
With “Ruby Red”, AMBER ASYLUM perfectly capture the growing dread and horror of many of a new dark age falling in our time. Yet the Californians balance the eerie and unhinged with a fragile beauty and blossoming of hope. “Ruby Red” is a most fascinating soundtrack of all that is to come. Listen carefully.
Band: Amber Asylum
Album title: Ruby Red
New release date: March 7, 2025
Style: Neoclassical dark ambient
Label: Prophecy Productions
Review Impact Date: January 20, 2025
Line-up
Kris Force – viola, violin, synth, vocals
Jackie Perez–Gratz – cello, vocals
Fern Lee Alberts – bass
Becky Hawk – percussion, vocals
Links
www.facebook.com/AmberAsylum.official
www.instagram.com/amberasylum_official