Ascendancy (album)

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.^[5] 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.

Speaking to Kerrang! about the songs lyrics, Matt Heafy said: "Definitely, some of the lyrics are about my personal insecurities and my social issues and disorders, and there's a thing about quietness in the music industry – people assume you're a dickhead if you don't want to talk, and that was definitely said about me. Being in a band forced me to have to get over my awkwardness around people and you can really see what I was going through in there."^[6]

Sales

Since its release, Ascendancy has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide.^[7] 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.^[8] In the UK, it peaked at No. 78, and shipped over 100,000 copies, attaining Gold status, without entering the UK top 75.^[9]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[10]
PopMatters	^[1]

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."^[10]

Accolades

In 2005, Ascendancy won the "Album of the Year Award" from Kerrang! magazine.^[11]
In August 2009 Ascendancy ended up #22 in Kerrang!'s The 21st Century's Greats list.^[6]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Matt Heafy.

No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"The End of Everything" (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

United Kingdom special edition
No.	Title	Music	Length
13.	"Washing Away Me in the Tides"	Heafy	3:46
Total length:			58:57

Worldwide re-release
No.	Title	Length
13.	"Blinding Tears Will Break the Skies"	5:10
14.	"Washing Away Me in the Tides"	3:46
15.	"Master of Puppets" (Metallica cover, lyrics by James Hetfield)	8:11
16.	"Dying in Your Arms" (video mix)	3:05
Total length:		75:23

Bonus DVD

Promo videos:
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"

Live at the London Astoria - 9/18/2005:
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.^[12]
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.^[13]

Personnel

Trivium

Matt Heafy – vocals, guitars, production, art concept
Corey Beaulieu – guitars
Paolo Gregoletto – bass guitar
Travis Smith – drums, percussion, gang vocals on track 6

Production personnel

Jason Suecof – production, engineering, mixing on track 15, guitar solo on track 3
Andy Sneap – mixing, mastering, gang vocals on track 6
Jeff Weed – engineering assistance
Aaron Caillier – engineering assistance
Mark Lewis – co-engineer on track 15

Additional personnel

Chad Sunderland – gang vocals on track 6
Gizz Butt – gang vocals on track 6
Paul A. Romano – art direction, artwork, graphic design
Josh Rothstein – photography

References

1 2 Lee, Cosmo (2005-06-06). "Trivium: Ascendancy". PopMatters. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
↑ Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr (track listing). Trivium. Roadrunner Records. 2005.
↑ A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation (track listing). Trivium. Roadrunner Records. 2005.
↑ Dying in Your Arms (track listing). Trivium. Roadrunner Records. 2005. RR PROMO 897.
↑ Headbanger's ball
1 2 Kerrang! #1273, August 8, 2009. 21st Century's Greats. No.22. Ascendancy, Trivium. p. 39
↑ http://www.trivium.org/about
↑ http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/trivium_the_crusade_artwork.html
↑ Chart Information and Track listing
1 2 Loftus, Johnny. "Ascendancy - Trivium". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
↑ "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

Trivium

Matt Heafy Corey Beaulieu Paolo Gregoletto Paul Wandtke Brad Lewter Brent Young Travis Smith Nick Augusto Mat Madiro

Studio albums	Ember to Inferno Ascendancy The Crusade Shogun In Waves Vengeance Falls Silence in the Snow

Extended plays	Trivium EP

Singles	"Like Light to the Flies" "Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr" "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation" "Dying in Your Arms" "Detonation" "Entrance of the Conflagration" "Anthem (We Are the Fire)" "The Rising" "Becoming the Dragon" "Kirisute Gomen" "Into the Mouth of Hell We March" "Down from the Sky" "Throes of Perdition" "Shattering the Skies Above" "In Waves" "Built to Fall" "Black" "Watch The World Burn" "Brave This Storm" "Strife" "No Way to Heal" "Villainy Thrives" "Silence in the Snow" "Blind Leading the Blind" "Until the World Goes Cold"

Other songs	"Slave New World"

Related articles	Discography Roadrunner United

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