Over a weekend at SLS Studios, Wollongong, AUSTERE recorded their last album, To Lay like Old Ashes, finishing on this day in 2008.
The topics I deal with for Austere are topics I have been battling for many years, both in a physical and mental state. Social and other environments are not the most comfortable for me and therefore these things get recycled to me in many aspects of life. This is not to say I feel this way 100% of the time though, that is of course impossible. The mind is a very powerful tool and has the strength to cause many different things to the body. Personally I feel the best way to deal with it all is to take everything one day at a time and not plan too much in advance.
- Desolate / Austere interview, Kaleidoscope #8, 2010
They returned to SLS and producer Tim Grose (LORD, DUNGEON) the following month for mixing, mastering and to complete the vocals. Eisenwald released the album in February 2009.
The idea behind these [20 minute long] tracks was to steal the listeners' thought for the duration of the songs. To attempt to place them in a "coma like state". Again, these tracks are quite skeletal and minimalistic which was something I felt was necessary for these tracks/idea but I understand it's not something for everyone to get into or understand.
- Desolate / Austere interview, Kaleidoscope #8, 2010
AUSTERE officially ended on 19 May, 2010.
Desolate (Mitch) is currently active with ILL OMEN, NAZXUL and TEMPLE NIGHTSHADE; Sorrow (Tim) with AUTUMN'S DAWN and GERM.
There is 100% no chance Austere will ever come back. We spoke about that a couple of years ago, and decided that it is best left at rest. I think we ended on a high, and I don't think it's right to try and force something to happen just for the sake of it. Mitch is happy with what he is doing, and Germ is going better than I ever imagined, as is Autumn's Dawn. We've moved in different directions and are both satisfied with what we're doing nowadays, that's all there is to say really.
- Tim Yatras (Sorrow) / Autumn's Dawn interview, Ave Noctum, 2014