Ascendancy (album)
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
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.[4] 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.
Sales
Since its release, Ascendancy has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide.[5] 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.[6] In the UK, it peaked at No. 78, and shipped over 100,000 copies, attaining Gold status, without entering the UK top 75.[7]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [8] |
| PopMatters |   [9] |
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."[8]
Accolades
In 2005, Ascendancy won the "Album of the Year Award" from Kerrang! magazine.[10]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Matt Heafy
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The End of Everything and Rain" (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 | ||
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Washing Away Me in the Tides" | Heafy | 3:46 |
| Total length: | 58:57 | ||
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Blinding Tears Will Break the Skies" | Heafy | 5:10 |
| 14. | "Washing Away Me in the Tides" | Heafy | 3:46 |
| 15. | "Master of Puppets" (Metallica cover, lyrics by James Hetfield) | Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Cliff Burton, Kirk Hammett | 8:11 |
| 16. | "Dying in Your Arms" (video mix) | Heafy | 3:05 |
| Total length: | 75:23 | ||
- Bonus DVD
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Like Light to the Flies" | |
| 2. | "Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr" | |
| 3. | "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation" | |
| 4. | "Dying in Your Arms" |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The End of Everything (intro)" | 1:23 |
| 2. | "Rain" | 4:21 |
| 3. | "Dying in Your Arms" | 3:22 |
| 4. | "Like Light to the Flies" | 6:23 |
| 5. | "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation" | 6:45 |
| 6. | "Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr" | 5:45 |
Notes
- The bonus track "Washing Away Me in the Tides" was included on the Underworld: Evolution soundtrack.[11]
- 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.[12]
Personnel
|
|
|
References
- ^ Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr (track listing). Trivium. Roadrunner Records. 2005.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation (track listing). Trivium. Roadrunner Records. 2005.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Dying in Your Arms (track listing). Trivium. Roadrunner Records. 2005. RR PROMO 897.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Headbanger's ball
- ^ http://www.trivium.org/about
- ^ http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/trivium_the_crusade_artwork.html
- ^ Chart Information and Track listing
- ^ a b Loftus, Johnny. "Ascendancy - Trivium". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
- ^ Lee, Cosmo (2005-06-06). "Trivium: Ascendancy". PopMatters. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
- ^ "TRIVIUM: 'Ascendancy' Voted 'Album Of The Year' By KERRANG!". Blabbermouth.net. 2005-12-27. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
- ^ Underworld: Evolution Soundtrack
- ^ Matt Heafy Interview Luxembourg on YouTube