The Florida-based duo of Joshua Wojtaszek and Bryn Schurman has come together as a project more so than a band in SUMPTUS IGNIS.  They have just released their debut album aptly titled "Ambition", which can be nicely filed under ambitious but worthwhile. The duo takes elements of different metal and rock areas, fusing them together to make an impressive first offering.

The set opens with ominous-ambient noise as "Crusader(The Purge)" begins with the deep thrash of ear-splitting doom metal.  This eight-minute epic is a perfect start to proceedings, the vocals are demonic although within the dark collage been built, the vocals of Jessy Sparks brings which interrupt the mammoth growl gives a more human voice to proceedings. The to and fro  between both styles makes for an interesting listen, the sound though is purely locked deep in the world of death holding the listener with cleverly imagery used;

"Echoing footsteps call to me
Deep in my fortress of stone
Through the dark, I smell terror
Behind the bravado".

SUMPTUS IGNIS do remain melodic throughout, beneath those gruff vocal lines the track swings in a new direction. The introduction of an extremely dynamic bass run augmented with flurries of melodic guitar notes, a complete change in pace to the opening of the track but the growl erupts once more then the track reaches its climax. "Heartstrings Black" gives us the storm, thunder and lightning back the soundscape of clean-guitar notes until the door is burst open with the band in thrash form, again switching between heavy and melodic effortlessly.  The vocals this time are a lot more accessible, no growls, no grunts for the start at least, though the different range of oral sounds do add an extra scope to the album which as you continue into it becomes more adventurous.

A highlight on the album which combines all these elements perfectly is "Fire At Will", this is the penultimate collision of death-metal meeting progressive rock.  The track twists and turns with tempo changes, from straight forward all out attack to other-worldly electronic sounds as the vocals dive underwater. "Foolish Endeavor" begins on the verge of electronica before exploding into a break neck guitar-drum assault, a ten-minute track which keeps you entertained throughout without realizing the full time-scale. As the album closes with "Sacred Alchemy", with its fractured tempos definitely belongs somewhere on the scale between FRANK ZAPPA and PORCUPINE TREE. The workmanship of the duo is relentless, the different themes and styles of delivery is brave, meshing them together to make an album work as a whole is a talent, fortunately they are gifted enough to make it work.