In meaningful existence for seven years, Thulcandra seem to have been a divisive act for the entire time. For whatever reason, many Dissection worshippers have taken offense at these Germans paying homage to the Swedish masters both musically and artistically – the latter thanks to the contributions of Kristian ‘Necrolord’ Wåhlin. Personally the concept of Dissection being lovingly paid tribute to – alongside other notable melodic black/death bands – has always been more of an attraction than an affront. Two successful albums down the line and Steffen Kummerer (of Obscura fame) and associates present us with their third opus, ‘Ascension Lost’.
‘The First Rebellion’ eases us in with a clean, semi-acoustic intro before taking off like some majestic creature and then fracturing with some bone shattering riffs. From there, alternate blasts of mesmeric guitar work, speed and slower passages echoing Dissection emerge. Likewise, Kummerer’s vocals retain that screamed/grating rage of Jon Nödtveidt. So, unsurprisingly, a continuation of the previous two records. As the various guitar lines and riffs dance among each other in the opener, one aspect towers above the rest: the guitar tone lacks pretty much any bite – something which necessarily undersells those ripping sections. It goes without saying that the musicianship is top notch but the comparatively smooth, clean production is necessarily a bugbear throughout. The effect of the guitar tone on the fast parts already mentioned, its impact is no less detrimental for the slower ones. In sections where the music decelerates, as on ‘Deliverance in Sin and Death’, we are confronted with tones that fail to inspire fear as they were intended to.
With this style of black/death metal, the key to excellence has always been how savagery and serenity are contrasted for maximum impact. Unfortunately for ‘Ascension Lost’, the two strands are blurred by each sounding borderline commercial – at least for an album of this category. For all that, the faster displays definitely do more, eliciting a sense approaching inspiration and in some cases the songwriting manages to exceed any gripes I have. ‘Exalted Resistance’ is about the best track on the disc. When riffs aren’t ascending (pun intended) and descending, they dart past from all directions, accompanied by some equally menacing blast-beats. Similarly, there are a few isolated parts which also transcend the overly palatable sound, like the acceleration on ‘Sorrow of the One’. But then you have moments which are downright unimpressive like the ill-fitting ‘Interlude’ and the slightly less out of place though completely unmoving orchestral ‘Outro’. Summing it all up are the riffs of the title track which, rather than rip your face off, merely dab the sides of your head.
While ‘Ascension Lost’ contains the same conventions as the previous discs/the originals – Dissection, Unanimated etc – it is categorically the weakest Thulcandra album as far as this listener is concerned. For one final opportunity to sound like a broken record: check out ‘The Second Fall’. With echoes of ‘Thorns of Crimson Death’ to its opening riffs, this track is the perfect reference point with which to compare the deficiency of this slick production compared to a feral classic like ‘Storm of the Light’s Bane’. By no means a shit record, hopefully next time Thulcandra opt for a more aggressive and/or atmospheric sound. Otherwise it’s more than ‘Ascension’ that might be lost…
(6.5/10 Jamie)
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