Re-released almost ten years after its debut,
This Ascension's sophomore outing has been regarded as a recording of near mythical proportion since its disappearance from the Projekt catalog in the mid-1990s.
Tears in Rain, the band's debut, appeared just in time to fill a goth-sized hole was created by the passing of guitarist
Wayne Hussey's band, the Mission. When
Light & Shade appeared in 1992,
This Ascension captured the state of the dark gothic imagination with a unique sound that featured caterwauling, over the edge guitars (courtesy of Kevin Serra), and a multi-octave female vocalist in the shape of Dru. With silky, layered keyboard textures and knifing six string seductions, Dru's voice swoops ands soars, whispers, croons, and careens around and against the music to create the eerie, lost in time aspect of
This Ascension's sound. Standout tracks include "Fearful Symmetry," with its
Joy Division guitar line from "Day of the Lords," and "Ill Met By Moonlight," with its profound sense of loss and barely contained longing. Dru's voice sings counterpoint to Serra's riffing, offering a cry and moan sort of feel before the entire things rushes into the maelstrom in the chorus. If goth's your thing, you're already excited by this re-release; if it's a genre you're interested in, this is about as good as it gets -- especially in America. ~ Thom Jurek