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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Ascension - Far Beyond The Stars + │
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│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.jul-08-2012 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2012 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......The_Patriarch Songs........11 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.ascensionband.co.uk ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Ascension Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Far Beyond The Stars Label : Spiritual Beas ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ItÆs been an interesting rise to fame by ║ │
│║ Scottish power-metallers, Ascension. Still but ║ │
│║ youngsters in the spectrum of rockÆn'roll, their ║ │
│║ first release was the Moongate EP deployed in ║ │
│║ 2009, before that was followed up by second EP ║ │
│║ Alchemy the following year. Honed, then, by ║ │
│║ continual touring and recording (most notably a ║ │
│║ UK tour with Axenstar at the end of 2011), the ║ │
│║ band retreated to Sonic Train Studios in Sweden ║ │
│║ with Grammy-nominated producer and King Diamond ║ │
│║ player, Andy La Rocque (Falconer, Dragonland, ║ │
│║ Evergrey) to record their debut full-length ║ │
│║ album, Far Beyond the Stars. Was it worth the ║ │
│║ wait? Oh, you bet. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ascension represent a rare species: A band that ║ │
│║ have the ability to produce genre-leading music ║ │
│║ straight out of the box. Dodgy first few albums? ║ │
│║ Forget it; Far Beyond the Stars shows that ║ │
│║ perfectly-formed metal can shine through on a ║ │
│║ debut record to compete with some of the genreÆs ║ │
│║ leading lights whoÆve been at it for years. With ║ │
│║ an exciting, explosive and fresh perspective on ║ │
│║ a genre that (arguably) hasnÆt moved on for a ║ │
│║ decade, the time is ripe for an enthusiastic ║ │
│║ young band to take it by the scruff of the neck, ║ │
│║ throw it around and demonstrate that thereÆs ║ │
│║ life in the old dog yet. Far Beyond the Stars ║ │
│║ harks back to some of the greats: Imagine an ║ │
│║ early DragonForce infused with Bruce DickinsonÆs ║ │
│║ vocal power; Stratovarius with renewed ║ │
│║ juvenility; HammerFall without the bombast. A ║ │
│║ debut album filled with the kind of songwriting ║ │
│║ and lyricism that youÆd expect from rockÆn'roll ║ │
│║ stalwarts is humbly thrust forward with the sort ║ │
│║ of power that demands you sit up and take ║ │
│║ notice. Not only is the songwriting top-notch, ║ │
│║ but thereÆs a staggering ability to play ║ │
│║ showcased here, too - The classy guitar work ║ │
│║ from Stuart Docherty and Fraser Edwards ║ │
│║ exhibition the kind of dual-shredding silliness ║ │
│║ that Sam Totman and Herman Li manage to pull off ║ │
│║ in DragonForce, but played with such confidence ║ │
│║ and craft. These arenÆt songs hastily bashed ║ │
│║ together to form a record to flog at concerts, ║ │
│║ this is a full-blown release and you can feel ║ │
│║ the craft thatÆs gone into moulding each and ║ │
│║ every one of the tracks: Songs have been ║ │
│║ lovingly curated until theyÆre almost perfect in ║ │
│║ scope, full of delicious hooks and sweet ║ │
│║ melodies that reel you in to listen again and ║ │
│║ again. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Vocalist Richard Carnie is a powerful driving ║ │
│║ force fronting the band, laying down an ║ │
│║ impressive vocal range that bolsters the ║ │
│║ impressive spectrum of themes that the ║ │
│║ intelligent lyrics portray. On galloping rockers ║ │
│║ like album opener æSomewhere Back in TimeÆ ║ │
│║ (video link here, or see the video embedded ║ │
│║ below), RickiÆs voice is infused with thunder ║ │
│║ and brimstone, plumbing high notes and low with ║ │
│║ ease and fortifying a track that is less a ║ │
│║ æsongÆ and more a charging monster. Sometimes, ║ │
│║ it acts as the rhythm itself while Messrs ║ │
│║ Docherty & Edwards explore the frets in ║ │
│║ whirligig guitar solos, while at others itÆs a ║ │
│║ solo instrument in itself. æHeavenlyÆ is a truly ║ │
│║ superb song from beginning to end, linking up a ║ │
│║ ridiculously catchy chorus with a barrage of ║ │
│║ pounding rhythm guitars, melodic shredding and ║ │
│║ powerfully symphonic solos from both vocals and ║ │
│║ guitars, and comparable to some of the best ║ │
│║ melodic/power metal thatÆs alive today. Even ║ │
│║ when the pace wanders into slower territories, ║ │
│║ as it does on æThe Silver TideÆ, the combination ║ │
│║ of classical guitar backing, orchestral ║ │
│║ strings/keys and some impressive vocals, the ║ │
│║ quality never drops. ThereÆs genuine emotion ║ │
│║ being poured out, too, so in between all the ║ │
│║ songs about fantasy and other-worldliness, ║ │
│║ thereÆs striking passion. Choruses are a high ║ │
│║ point all across the board, each managing to ║ │
│║ display an impressive level of hook while ║ │
│║ simultaneously blasting out a barrage some of ║ │
│║ the most thunderous melodic metal thatÆs as ║ │
│║ catchy as it is powerful: We canÆt stop here, ║ │
│║ this is earworm country. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The two real treats are the instrumental rocker ║ │
│║ æOrb of the MoonsÆ (featuring guest keyboards ║ │
│║ from Elias Holmlid of Dragonland) and the ten- ║ │
│║ minute progressive epic, æThe AvatarÆ, both of ║ │
│║ which show off some true writing class and will ║ │
│║ sound absolutely phenomenal in a live show ║ │
│║ setting. Here, the combination of solid writing, ║ │
│║ enthusiasm, spirit and ability align to truly ║ │
│║ make Far Beyond the Stars interstellar; and itÆs ║ │
│║ wonderful to be along for the ride. ThereÆs ║ │
│║ something that feels so æhonedÆ all over this ║ │
│║ release, topped off with some fine quality ║ │
│║ production, but at the same time so æfreshÆ; not ║ │
│║ just fresh, but thoroughly refreshing. ║ │
│║ Certainly, it marks a palate-cleanser from the ║ │
│║ hordes of churned-out, fantasy-tinged metal and ║ │
│║ a perfect antidote to the current music tastes ║ │
│║ of the masses. Ascension keep things interesting ║ │
│║ to the end, managing to build up a staggering ║ │
│║ head of steam early on that remains throughout ║ │
│║ the middle of the album, before being bolstered ║ │
│║ and escalated by æThe AvatarÆ and the final ║ │
│║ track, æTime for WarÆ. And wrapping it all up is ║ │
│║ that wonderful album cover art (see top of ║ │
│║ post), by guitarist Docherty, that cocoons a ║ │
│║ wonderfully crafted debut album into a killer ║ │
│║ package. ThereÆs some intense talent on show ║ │
│║ here, and the only qualifier to a superb debut ║ │
│║ album is that, at least on the basis of whatÆs ║ │
│║ to be heard on Far Beyond the Stars, one can ║ │
│║ only expect even more from the band in the ║ │
│║ future. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Somewhere Back in Time [06:01] │
│ 02 - Blackthorne [05:51] │
│ 03 - Reflected Life [06:39] │
│ 04 - Heavenly [06:03] │
│ 05 - Moongate [08:08] │
│ 06 - Orb of the Moons [04:48] │
│ 07 - The Silver Tide [05:27] │
│ 08 - The Time Machine [07:29] │
│ 09 - Far Beyond the Stars [01:16] │
│ 10 - The Avatar (Ascension) [09:41] │
│ 11 - Time for War (Japanese Bonus) [03:48] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [65:11 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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│ │
│■ ■│
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