KADINJA is a Progressive Metal band based out of France, and "Ascendancy" is their debut album, out February 17, 2017, from Klonosphere/Season Of Mist label. Like the band HAKEN did on their latest album, the band presents ten tracks with vocals, and then the same ten tracks as instrumentals. The cover art, by Svelt Studio, is a depiction of a solitary figure on the shores of a simmering river, with a kaleidoscope of colored mountains all around. "Stone Of Mourning" slams in at you Djent style, with staccato guitar attacks and harsh vocals. Prog prowess abounds, but not at the chagrin of the melodies presented, which are quite engaging. UK based guitarist/teacher Rick Graham is featured on "GLHF." His glittering lead notes open the song that turns heavy and dark moments later. The clean vocal harmonies are very well-timed amidst the chaotic guitar parts that seem like they are being played by a cyborg that is not altogether human.

"Episteme" pushes the melody straight at you from the start, with a memorable sublimity that burns like a longing in your heart. The craft the band displays with this composition is second to none. It warmed me to the core and I enjoyed it several more times. "Part II" is just as wonderful, with a haunting piano melody underneath heavy stuck bass guitar notes, and clean vocals that soon turn sinister. "A November Day" has a sugary sweet sound that is blissful, and with emotional impact. That nifty little interlude after the three minute mark...a bridge of sorts...is amazing. Is it just me or do you get a PLINI vibe from that wondrous lead guitar work? Talk about a track that makes you feel glad to be alive...this one does for sure. The juxtaposition between the title of "Dominique," expecting perhaps an ode to a loved one, and the heavy, destructive sound is interesting. But the chorus nails the ode.

"Ropes Of You" shows what the band is about rhythmically, as well as showcasing the monster lead guitar talents you will hear on the album. The drive is punishing, crushing and a bone-breaking palate of patterns and chord progressions in various meters. "Bittersweet Guilt" is another winner. The key changes keep the track moving in a circuitous route, as great Prog should, but it does not lose its identity. That combination of aggressiveness and melody always wins out. "Seven (The Stick Figures)" closes the album, with unabashed melody derived from the harmonized clean vocals and the running lead guitar, which dances all around you in three dimensions.

The beauty about the Progressive Metal genre is the veritable sea of different sounds that bands can experiment with/utilize without judgement, and KADINJA have taken full advantage of this on "Ascendancy." On their technical ability alone the album is noteworthy. They display a seasoned musical intelligence and deep sophistication for music theory that you don't often come across these days. But when you add in their songwriting craft and the fact that this is a debut album, you have a recipe for an album that you simply cannot pass on, and a contender for one of the "Top Ten Albums Of 2017."