What can I say about this album? This is one of the best Metal albums I have picked up this year! From beginning to end I was taken on a ride that I will never forget.
1.) The End of Everything: The album starts off with an instrumental. It's a short acoustic song that leads up to the next track. It sounds kind of epic, it has a good opening sound to it. I give it a 3.5/5.
2.) Rain: The End of Everything leads into this track. After the acoustic intro, the heavy guitars of this song burst out revealing what's to come in this incredible CD. The verse starts out with Matt screaming and eventually leads to a chorus with him "mostly" singing with screaming at the end of each sentence. Totally brilliant. I give this song a 5/5 because it is just such a great start to a great album.
3.) Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr: This is the song that got me into this band. It starts out with a hardcore drum solo and then a heart pulsing guitar riff. Again, the verse has Matt screaming the lyrics. The part of the song that really starts to pick it up is the Pre-Chorus. The chorus is sung instead of screamed with an awesome pull off riff played in the background. The best part of this song is the solo. This song gets a definite 5/5.
4.) Drowned and Torn Asunder: After two incredible tracks, this track just doesn't live up to them. Of course, it is still awesome, but it just doesn't beat the insanity of Rain and Pull Harder. This song starts off with a slower riff which soon picks up into a heavy verse. Then it leads to another chorus with Matt singing. After a while there's a pretty good solo that is ruined a bit when they just go right into the chorus after it. This song earns a 4/5.
5.) Ascendancy: Ahh, the title track. This is kind of the same as Drowned and Torn Asunder. It starts off with a slower, yet awesome opening riff and leads into a heavy verse. Eventually it leads to a great chorus where Matt sings with the opening riff playing behind him. This song also earns a decent 4/5.
6.) A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation: This song is incredible. It starts off with a suspenceful guitar riff. Then it picks up with a creepy palm muting riff and finally goes to a soloing riff which is Godlike. Then after the heavy verse comes heavy chorus. After the chorus is a Godly soloing part which then leads back into the verse. After this is repeated one more time, it goes into the bridge part where the band chants "Open fire!" while Matt sings his part. After this, is another incredible solo and then the band members chanting "Hey! Hey! Hey!..". This song deserves a 5/5 because of its pure genius. My personal favorite on the album.
7.) Like Light to the Flies: Starts out with two quick opening chords and then goes right into a heavy verse with a fast riff playing behind Matt screaming. The Pre-Chorus and the Chorus are the best parts in this song in my opinion. The solo is very good, but I just love singing along to the Chorus. I give this song a 4.5/5.
8.) Dying in Your Arms: This is probably the weakest track on the CD. It opens with a high pitched, punkish sounding riff. The verse is palm-muted with Matt singing (omg!). The Chorus is very punkish sounding with Matt singing again. The solo is kind of cool, but overall this song is too punkish and sound out of place on the album. 3/5
9.) The Decieved: This song is along the lines of songs like Drowned and Torn Asunder and Ascendancy. It just doesn't live up to the other tracks. Again, it starts off with a fast riff and heavy verse that leads into a sung chorus. Don't get me wrong though, it's done in an awesome way. 4/5
10.) Suffocating Sight: This song is interesting. The opening riff is very awesome. After the opening, it leads to a faint soloing part which is the background riff for the verses. The song has Matt screaming throughout two verses and then it leads to a very good Chorus that has Matt singing again. After another solo part, it comes back to a fainted version of the Chorus and then plays again but is the normal one again. Very good song. 5/5.
11.) Departure: This song takes you on a joyride. It starts off with a heavy riff with heavy chords being rung over a soloing part. After this, the verse is an acoustic riff which has Matt singing. After a few moments of this, you hear a faster paced Pre-Chorus with distorted, palm muted guitars and Matt singing again. Finally, the Chorus kicks in and Matt just rips his vocal cords and pours all his effort and energy into the lyrics. The verse and Pre-Chorus are repeated once more and then it leads into a bridge with Matt screaming and a heavy riff backing him up. After this is a solo that leads into the last Chorus. This song is my second favorite song on the album and it deserves this 5/5.
12.) Declaration: The last song on the album is a long and drawn out beauty. It opens with a heavy powerchord and a crazy soloing part. This leads into a fast and aggressive verse part. This leads into another aggressive Chorus. After this is repeated once it goes into a bridge part and easier singing. Basically, this song is 7 minutes of different guitar riffs and vocals all put together. A very, very awesome ending to a very awesome album. 5/5.
Bottom Line: This album is meant to be in every metal fan's collection. It is a joyride from start to finish. Go out and buy this NOW.
Album score: 5 out of 5.
