From their record label's website, "INFINITE & DIVINE", a collaboration between two Swedish musicians, guitarist/songwriter/producer Jan Åkesson and vocalist Tezzi will release their sophomore album, "Ascendancy" on February 10, 2023. In the summer of 2019, Jan and Tezzi first encountered one another and shortly after that set to work on writing songs for what would ultimately become their debut album, "Silver Lining." Said album was a fantastic combination of Jan's energetic heavy riffs, the influences of their varied taste in Melodic Hard Rock and Metal, and Tezzi's melodic, yet powerful vocals. "Ascendancy" sees the two taking that songwriting formula and building upon it to craft an even more thrilling and energetic album, highlighting all their strengths." The album has eleven songs.

"Ashes to Ashes" is the first. The song is keyboard heavy, and the riffs are energetic as well. Tezzi is a very strong voice, with a lot of vibrato. But some of the musical connections are just a bit off in this song. "Larp" is a mid-tempo rocker with a sturdy backbone. The melodies are a bit better connected in this song. But one of the issues might be the way Tezzi uses her voice. She has such a strong vocal ability that the chorus is the same as the verses, meaning that there are no big accents in the chorus. "Remedy" is that punchy song I have been hoping for. The length and sound suggest that it could easily be played on the radio. It's a playful song with a nice rounded chorus, and some strong leads.

"Our Time" is a tender song with that difference I talked about in the way the vocals are delivered. The subdued singing in the verses really allows the chorus to shine. "Silent Revolution" has a hard driving sound, and rich bass notes. But the chorus leaves a few points on the board uncashed. "I Hold My Life" is another hard driving mid-tempo song with a bit of mystery in the background. Much of the melody comes in the chorus, but there are too many minor notes for it to make a big impact. "Forever with Me" is another winner in terms of creating a memorable sound. The verses are pensive and emotive, and the chorus is all out. I like the interplay between the two. "Down" is an energetic rocker that begins with some lead breaks. From there, a heavier sound is established. "Parasites" is the shortest on the album, and the band seems better prepared for these nuggets.

"Small Deeds" closes the album. This keyboard heavy song has a vital quality to it. I have always said that one of the biggest problems with modern AOR, even though I love most of it, is the challenge for bands to create something new, or something unique. The reason for this is the tens of thousands of bands who created this sound in the 1980's. Many bands fail to even come close, unfortunately. This band did a solid job of creating some memorable hooks. They are very talented, but could use some work in creating that big punch in the chorus. Frontiers did a really nice job with the production, however.