Ascendancy (album)

Last updated

Ascendancy
Ascendancy album cover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 15, 2005 (2005-03-15)
RecordedSeptember – October 2004 [1]
Studio
Genre
Length55:10
Label Roadrunner
Producer
Trivium studio album chronology
Ember to Inferno
(2003)
Ascendancy
(2005)
The Crusade
(2006)
Singles from Ascendancy
  1. "Like Light to the Flies"
    Released: January 2005 (2005-01) [5]
  2. "Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr"
    Released: March 2005 (2005-03) [6]
  3. "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation"
    Released: May 2005 (2005-05) [7]
  4. "Dying in Your Arms"
    Released: November 2005 (2005-11) [8]

Ascendancy is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Trivium. It was released on March 15, 2005, through Roadrunner Records and was produced by Jason Suecof and Matt Heafy.

Contents

Background

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: "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". An earlier version of the video for "Dying in Your Arms" was also filmed (inspired by The Phantom of the Opera), but was scrapped because the band disliked the final product. This version of the video was made available to the public on April 18, 2025. [9]

The music video for "Like Light to the Flies" debuted at MTV2's Headbangers Ball on September 25, 2004 [1] and features the original demo of the song, which was included on the MTV compilation album Headbangers Ball Volume 2 . [10] Likewise, demos of songs "The Deceived" and "Blinding Tears Will Break the Skies" were included on the re-release of Trivium's debut album Ember to Inferno, nearly a year before Ascendancy was released.

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." [11]

Reception

Critical

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [4]
PopMatters Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Upon its release, the album received critical acclaim. In a very positive review, Johnny Loftus of AllMusic said 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." [4] It has been widely recognized as one of the greatest metalcore albums of all time.

Accolades

Commercial performance

Since its release, Ascendancy has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. [15] In the U.S., the album peaked at No. 151 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 4 on the Top Heatseekers charts, and has sold over 140,000 units. [16] In the UK, it peaked at No. 79, and shipped over 100,000 copies, attaining Gold status, without entering the UK top 75. [17]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Matt Heafy.

No.TitleMusicLength
1."The End of Everything" (instrumental)Heafy, Jason Suecof 1:21
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, Beaulieu4:17
5."Ascendancy"Heafy4:25
6."A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation"Heafy, Beaulieu5:55
7."Like Light to the Flies"Heafy, Beaulieu5:40
8."Dying in Your Arms"Heafy2:53
9."The Deceived"Heafy, Beaulieu5:11
10."Suffocating Sight"Heafy3:47
11."Departure"Heafy5:41
12."Declaration"Heafy6:58
Total length:55:10
United Kingdom special edition
No.TitleMusicLength
13."Washing Away Me in the Tides"Heafy3:46
Total length:58:56
Worldwide re-release
No.TitleMusicLength
13."Blinding Tears Will Break the Skies"Heafy5:10
14."Washing Away Me in the Tides"Heafy3:46
15."Master of Puppets" (Metallica cover, lyrics by James Hetfield)Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Cliff Burton, Kirk Hammett 8:11
16."Dying in Your Arms" (video mix)Heafy3:05
Total length:75:22
Bonus DVD
Promo videos:
No.TitleLength
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.TitleLength
1."The End of Everything" (instrumental)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

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2005–2025)Peak
position
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ) [21] 31
Scottish Albums (OCC) [22] 93
UK Albums (OCC) [23] 79
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [24] 1
US Billboard 200 [25] 151

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [26] Gold100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. 1 2 "News & Information". The official Trivium website. January 22, 2005. Archived from the original on January 22, 2005. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Lee, Cosmo (June 6, 2005). "Trivium: Ascendancy". PopMatters . Retrieved April 30, 2012.
  3. Marsicano, Dan. "Essential Metalcore Albums". ThoughtCo . Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Loftus, Johnny. "Ascendancy - Trivium". AllMusic . Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  5. https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Trivium/Like_Light_to_the_Flies/203766
  6. Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr (track listing). Trivium. Roadrunner Records. 2005. RR Promo 813.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation (track listing). Trivium. Roadrunner Records. 2005. RR Promo 868.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. Dying in Your Arms (track listing). Trivium. Roadrunner Records. 2005. RR PROMO 897.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. "After 20 Years, Trivium Have Unveiled (And Roasted) Their Embarrassingly Bad Music Video For "Dying In You Arms"". Theprp.com. 2025.
  10. "Various Artists - MTV2 Headbanger's Ball 2". Amazon. 2004.
  11. 1 2 Kerrang! #1273, August 8, 2009. 21st Century's Greats. No.22. Ascendancy, Trivium. p. 39
  12. "TRIVIUM: 'Ascendancy' Voted 'Album Of The Year' By KERRANG!". Blabbermouth.net. December 27, 2005. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  13. "Muse lead Kerrang! Award nominations". Digital Spy . August 11, 2006. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  14. "The 100 greatest metal albums of the 21st century". Metal Hammer Magazine. October 12, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  15. "About Trivium - History, Biography, Songs and Facts". Trivium Official Website. Archived from the original on June 7, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  16. "Trivium: 'The Crusade' Artwork".
  17. Chart Information and Track listing Archived February 16, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  18. "Original Soundtrack - Underworld Evolution". -Amazon. 2006.
  19. Matt Heafy Interview Luxembourg on YouTube
  20. "Trivium: Vengeance Is Fine" . Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  21. "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2025. 7. hét". MAHASZ . Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  22. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  23. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  24. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  25. "Trivium Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  26. "British album certifications – Trivium – Ascendancy". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved November 22, 2022.