Ascendancy (album)

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Ascendancy
Ascendancy album cover.jpg
Studio album by Trivium
Released March 15, 2005
Recorded October 2004 - January 2005, Audiohammer Studios, Sanford, Florida and Morrisound Recording, Tampa, Florida
Genre Metalcore, thrash metal[1]
Length 55:11
Label Roadrunner
Producer
Trivium chronology
Ember to Inferno
(2003)Ember to Inferno2003		 Ascendancy
(2005)		 The Crusade
(2006)The Crusade2006
Singles from Ascendancy
  1. "Like Light to the Flies"
    Released: January 2005[citation needed]
  2. "Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr"
    Released: March 2005[2]
  3. "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation"
    Released: May 2005[3]
  4. "Dying in Your Arms"
    Released: November 2005[4]

Ascendancy is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Trivium. Released on March 15, 2005 by Roadrunner Records.

Background and production

This marks the first Trivium album to feature guitarist Corey Beaulieu and bassist Paolo Gregoletto. The album was produced by Jason Suecof and frontman, Matt Heafy. The album spawned four singles in "Like Light to the Flies", "Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr", "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation" and "Dying in Your Arms". Music videos for each of the songs were shot; a promotional video was filmed for the song "Rain".

A demo of the song "The Deceived" was included on the re-release of Trivium's debut album Ember to Inferno nearly a year before Ascendancy was released. Likewise, a demo version of "Like Light to the Flies" was included on the MTV compilation album Headbangers Ball Volume 2.[5] Also, a demo of the song "Blinding Tears Will Break the Skies" was included on the Ember to Inferno re-release and later re-recorded and included as a bonus track on the re-release of Ascendancy.

Speaking to Kerrang! about the songs lyrics, Matt Heafy said: "Definitely, some of the lyrics are about my personal insecurities and my social issues and disorders, and there's a thing about quietness in the music industry – people assume you're a dickhead if you don't want to talk, and that was definitely said about me. Being in a band forced me to have to get over my awkwardness around people and you can really see what I was going through in there."[6]

Sales

Since its release, Ascendancy has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide.[7] In the U.S., the album peaked at No. 151 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 4 on the Top Heatseekers charts, selling over 140,000 units.[8] In the UK, it peaked at No. 78, and shipped over 100,000 copies, attaining Gold status, without entering the UK top 75.[9]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars[10]
PopMatters 7/10 stars[1]

Upon its release, the album received critical acclaim. In a very positive review, Johnny Loftus of Allmusic had this to say about the album, "Ascendancy aligns real-deal thrash with powerful modern influences. But at all times it's a platform for Trivium's own crazed talent."[10]

Accolades

  • In 2005, Ascendancy won the "Album of the Year Award" from Kerrang! magazine.[11]
  • In August 2009 Ascendancy ended up #22 in Kerrang!'s The 21st Century's Greats list.[6]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Matt Heafy. 

No. Title Music Length
1. "The End of Everything" (Instrumental) Heafy, Jason Suecof 1:20
2. "Rain"   Heafy, Corey Beaulieu 4:11
3. "Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr"   Heafy, Beaulieu, Travis Smith 4:51
4. "Drowned and Torn Asunder"   Heafy, Beaulieu 4:17
5. "Ascendancy"   Heafy 4:25
6. "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation"   Heafy, Beaulieu 5:55
7. "Like Light to the Flies"   Heafy, Beaulieu 5:40
8. "Dying in Your Arms"   Heafy 2:53
9. "The Deceived"   Heafy, Beaulieu 5:11
10. "Suffocating Sight"   Heafy 3:47
11. "Departure"   Heafy 5:41
12. "Declaration"   Heafy 7:00
Total length:
 55:11
United Kingdom special edition
No. Title Music Length
13. "Washing Away Me in the Tides"   Heafy 3:46
Total length:
 58:57
Bonus DVD

Notes

  • The bonus track "Washing Away Me in the Tides" was included on the Underworld: Evolution soundtrack.[12]
  • A demo of the song "Blinding Tears Will Break the Skies" was included on the Ember to Inferno re-release and later re-recorded and included as a bonus track on the re-release of Ascendancy.
  • A demo of the song "The Deceived" was also included on the Ember to Inferno re-release and was later re-recorded and included as a track on Ascendancy.
  • The entire Ascendancy album was originally recorded in Drop Db tuning. However, because of an error, everything ended up out of tune, so the band tuned up to Drop D.[13]

Personnel

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Headbanger's ball
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Kerrang! #1273, August 8, 2009. 21st Century's Greats. No.22. Ascendancy, Trivium. p. 39
  7. ↑ http://www.trivium.org/about
  8. ↑ http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/trivium_the_crusade_artwork.html
  9. ↑ Chart Information and Track listing
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Underworld: Evolution Soundtrack
  13. ↑ Matt Heafy Interview Luxembourg on YouTube
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