Alas another Candlelight Records artist fills the ears with joyful glee, to which brings me to introduce to you none other than England's finest four ANCIENT ASCENDANT with their third installment titled "Raise The Torch." A record filled of melodic intensity that ranges within the spheres of grooved metal meshed with death/black metal vocal touches makes for an interesting sound variation that can be somewhat challenging to the listening senses. You will come to understand what I mean by musically intriguing by the second introduction track called "Our Way", which starts off with melodic guitar rhythms that slowly speed up to the bass and drum charging on, then like out of no where deep growled death metal vocals kick in. Then to which seems the second sung verse totally sounds like creepy black metal singing and then back again to death metal. I am like what just happened here, was getting into this unique groove that just got weirder. Thought ok, then listening to following tracks that followed in the same suit as before I totally got lost somewhere between track two and track six but something happened.

Song six "Foreign Skies" was different in the beginning where it started off peacefully then danced into something more melodically intricate that came across dark yet didn't at the same time. Parts of that tune were sung with brutal harsh death tones that raged into full black metal nastiness that seemed to blend well with the harmonies of the song. Made me think of EMPEROR vocally and then out of nowhere VADER totally hit the mark. Would have to say the band has a way of creating their sound that expresses variety but keeping within the world of death or what I call intense metal. ANCIENT ASCENDANT really pushes the boundaries with this release for they have a way of really putting some interesting punches to their music that is animated and yet alluring at the same time. One would figure that a band that has been together since 2005, put out three EP's and three full lengths totally knows what they are doing and they do it well.

Raise A Torch is a compelling piece of work from the songwriting to the overall creativity that went behind the recording. Last two songs track eight "The Great Curve" and nine "Raise The Torch" are the sheer backbone highlights that are instant favorites that are guaranteed to covert any new listener. If a sort of different metal is what you are seeking then ANCIENT ASCENDANT will rise above to claim your listening buds.