Ashley Reaks continues his prog-punk soundscape explorations on solo album #14. Give it a deep listen – concentration pays dividends.
Release Date: 25th October 2025
Label: Self Release
Formats: Digital
EXPLORING THE OUTER LIMITS
Harrogate-based Ashley Reaks describes himself as an “…English musician, collage artist and writer;” others have described him as “A punk Frank Zappa” and have hinted at signs of genius in his work. But, in all honesty, words are scarcely adequate to describe the sounds he creates. The Body Blow of Grief is Ashley’s 14th solo album and it picks up where his previous album, Winter Crawls (2023) left off, exploring the outer limits of prog-punk soundscapes.
Ashley acknowledges a vast list of influences, musical and otherwise, to wit:
Magazine, post-punk, Yes, Ivor Cutler, religious imagery, Robert Wyatt, The Pop Group, The Stranglers, Cardiacs, cut and paste, Rip Rig and Panic, David Bowie’s Blackstar album, bebop, Captain Beefheart, collage, Gee Voucher’s artwork for Crass, psychedelia, 70s-era Genesis, Dada, Gentle Giant, Devo and Francis Bacon’s art.
And, believe it or not, each of those influences are, to a great or lesser degree, detectable in the eight compositions/performances (‘songs’ is too mild a term to describe what’s going on here…) that comprise The Body Blow of Grief. This music is unpredictable, engaging, unsettling and utterly exhilarating. ‘Prog-punk,’ (Ashley’s own term) doesn’t really do full justice as a description of this music; jazz, psychedelia, metal, classical themes, folk, baroque, deep prog and, yes, a shade or two of punk, all get a look in and, whilst it’s possible to tick off the names from that list of influences, and to add a few more names – I picked up strains of Zappa and King Crimson – The Body Bowl Of Grief is, really, all Ashley Reaks’ own work. Listen closely; concentration pays dividends.
A DEXTEROUS BUNCH
Ashley has gathered an array of accomplished, dexterous musicians to bring this music to life; alongside his own vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards and piano, he’s enlisted the services of Lucy Mizen (vocals), Nick Dunne (acoustic and electric guitars), Joel Purnell (saxophones), Rob Hirons (drums), Dan Mizen (percussion) and, as guests on Blessed Are They That Mourn, arguably the album’s centrepiece track, Maria Jardardottir on vocals and Dave Kemp on additional sax.
For maximum benefit, The Body Blow of Grief should be listened to as a single, cohesive, piece. Scattered drums, solid, persistent and insistent basslines, jazzy flourishes of sax and dreamy, hypnotic vocals are a constant theme throughout the album; Lucy’s harmonious backing vocals are soothing and Nick’s guitar solos evoke the more exploratory aspects of Zappa or Steve Hackett. Ashley’s lyrics are often disquieting and occasionally laced with humour – I particularly like the tongue-twisting “Now I know where – now I know where nowhere is” in Blessed Are They That Mourn and “Saw her unconscious on the bed, I thought that she was dead” in the raucous Hobbling Like a Refugee.
UNCHARTED WATERS
Often – and Hobbling Like a Refugee is a particular case in point, here – the band head out into waters that aren’t just uncharted but probably infested with indescribable life-forms too, and always that solid bass and tight drumbeat provides the anchor for the wildest adventures of guitar, sax and keyboards.
It would be churlish to pick out a favourite track – every part of The Body Blow Of Grief has its merits. For a dreamscape, opening track Home is Where the Hurt Is probably ticks the box; if hyponotic melody is your thing, then check out No Place in the Nature of Things or the spacy Somewhere to Hide Among the Swarm and if it’s jazzy unpredictability that floats your boat, Living In Gas Time, Hobbling Like A Refugee and the epic closing track, I’m Not a Fossil are the tracks for you. Nothing on The Body Blow Of Grief gets remotely close to being an easy listen but Blessed Are They That Mourn and Mongrel Nation are probably the most accessible tunes. But, as I’ve already suggested, The Body Blow Of Grief is best approached as a single, cohesive work.
If you’re looking for an album that’s guaranteed to challenge, astound and exhilarate, then The Body Blow Of Grief might be just the thing for you. But don’t approach it lightly, and – remember – concentration pays dividends.
Not on the album,. but you can get a taste for Ashley Reaks’ prog-punk sonic soundscape explorations – listen to Winter Crawls, the title track of Ashley’s 2023 album, here:
Ashley Reaks online: Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Bandcamp
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