Shredding riffs, blast beats, dual guitar harmonies and solos, and vocal schizophrenia sum up the album's 12 astonishingly brutal tracks.
Despite their youth (ages range from 19-22), Trivium are able to possess a revolutionary sound, while paying homage to their metal heroes of yesteryear.
Lead vocalist and guitarist Matt Heafy has proven himself capable of being the next icon of heavy metal. Heafy writes all lyrics and composes the majority of the music for the band--all while helping to produce the album. Heafy has managed to quickly fall in line with the great riff-masters of metal: Iommi, Hetfield and now, Heafy.
"Rain" is the opening firestorm that kicks off Ascendancy. A barrage of thrash metal riffs blast away, while drummer Travis Smith carries the song, playing like a human machine gun.
"Drowned and Torn Asunder" and "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation" highlight the unique guitar team of Heafy and Corey Beaulieu. The two play off each other well by switching rhythm and lead-guitar duties, while eventually joining together with dual solos.
The neck-breaking "Like Light to the Flies" best represents the common lyrical theme on the album--overcoming life's obstacles and corruptions. "This seems to suit you better, bleeding out the eyes," Heafy croons in a song dealing with the attraction to tragedy.
If you claim to have a drop of metal running through your veins, then Trivium's Ascendancy is a necessity.
