Review by Alex on July 12, 2020.

Scheduled for an Iron Bonehead reissue on vinyl and CD after its success on cassette and digital formats, the 2nd output from Ascendency, Birth of an Eternal Empire, puts itself amidst the bruises and broken bones of black/death metal with a 2nd wave nimbus of bleakness hovering above its head. If that's inadequate to draw you in then would you feel better knowing that the band hail from Denmark and features Simon Daniel Larsen of Phrenelith who has also had time performing for Undergang live? I take it by now you're interested, but that's not all. Also, a member of Ascendency, is drummer Ugur Yildirim of the death metal band Taphos that put out a masterclass showing on their debut full-length album, "Come Ethereal Somberness". I take it by now you probably want to throw money at Ascendency, and I can't grudge you for that, it's understandable and warranted.

Birth of an Eternal Empire is black/death metal proper, whispering Beherit-like vocals, scaling guitars (very Dark Funeral or Thulcandra inspired leads), steady drumming and shuddering yet coronating atmospheric moments overlook the rise to power. Fittingly only four yet lengthy songs, the EP has an aggrandizing feel achieved through this, but more through the music itself. Shorter songs being 'Altered Beast' and 'Tread the Path to Supreme Veneration' get to the point fast despite their 5-minute run, while longer tracks like 'A Birth in Fire' play like theme music to an awakening to some omnipotent god or force. Easily hooked in from the beginning via the riffing, it forces the listener to sit through all that is Birth of an Eternal Empire. They're these tranquil moments that appear suddenly and lay a warm blanket over the hot 2nd wave black metal riffing. Not too often utilized but done enough with adequate changes in tempo to prevent a bland overcast. The production is somewhat sharp like they initially tried for a clean sound, but instead of appearing too friendly/accessible, it adds a violent coating to the album, therefore making the record more convincing as a black/death metal endeavor.

There's more that can be done with a formula of this sort, its left to Ascendency to decide how they wish to conduct themselves from here on out. They attracted the attention of Iron Bonehead with Birth of an Eternal Empire, but it will be more interesting to hear what they put out on the label exclusively. You might want to keep your sword within reach in preparation of a powerful premeditated attack soon to follow.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Alex on July 12, 2020.

Scheduled for an Iron Bonehead reissue on vinyl and CD after its success on cassette and digital formats, the 2nd output from Ascendency, Birth of an Eternal Empire, puts itself amidst the bruises and broken bones of black/death metal with a 2nd wave nimbus of bleakness hovering above its head. If that's inadequate to draw you in then would you feel better knowing that the band hail from Denmark and features Simon Daniel Larsen of Phrenelith who has also had time performing for Undergang live? I take it by now you're interested, but that's not all. Also, a member of Ascendency, is drummer Ugur Yildirim of the death metal band Taphos that put out a masterclass showing on their debut full-length album, "Come Ethereal Somberness". I take it by now you probably want to throw money at Ascendency, and I can't grudge you for that, it's understandable and warranted.

Birth of an Eternal Empire is black/death metal proper, whispering Beherit-like vocals, scaling guitars (very Dark Funeral or Thulcandra inspired leads), steady drumming and shuddering yet coronating atmospheric moments overlook the rise to power. Fittingly only four yet lengthy songs, the EP has an aggrandizing feel achieved through this, but more through the music itself. Shorter songs being 'Altered Beast' and 'Tread the Path to Supreme Veneration' get to the point fast despite their 5-minute run, while longer tracks like 'A Birth in Fire' play like theme music to an awakening to some omnipotent god or force. Easily hooked in from the beginning via the riffing, it forces the listener to sit through all that is Birth of an Eternal Empire. They're these tranquil moments that appear suddenly and lay a warm blanket over the hot 2nd wave black metal riffing. Not too often utilized but done enough with adequate changes in tempo to prevent a bland overcast. The production is somewhat sharp like they initially tried for a clean sound, but instead of appearing too friendly/accessible, it adds a violent coating to the album, therefore making the record more convincing as a black/death metal endeavor.

There's more that can be done with a formula of this sort, its left to Ascendency to decide how they wish to conduct themselves from here on out. They attracted the attention of Iron Bonehead with Birth of an Eternal Empire, but it will be more interesting to hear what they put out on the label exclusively. You might want to keep your sword within reach in preparation of a powerful premeditated attack soon to follow.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Alex on May 1, 2018.

I'm not fond of melodic death metal. Strangely enough, I see it as a watered-down, radio friendly form of the source genre. My patience with this subgenre is very thin, therefore making it almost impossible to earn my attention, keep it, and leave me with a good impression. That being said, Penetrum has somewhat clawed at my interest and succeeded at absorbing it within the music of their 2018 release, Instrument of Delusion. Don't let the album's somber artwork misled you into thinking Instrument of Delusion is a melancholic album. Absolutely not! This isn't the kind of melodic death metal that sounds all whiny and mournful; it's quite the opposite and even sounds cheerful on some tracks. 

Instrument of Delusion places a heavy emphasis on catchy melodies, guitar riffs and leads, all the while creating a feeling of blackened death metal via the vocals being presented. Some elements of folk metal are also introduced on the album, especially on the track "Blazing Souls." This track features fast-paced thrash metal-style drumming and furious guitar leads, all ridden triumphantly by the folky style of singing that appears more towards the middle of the track. The song is very fast and even increases in intensity (momentum-wise) towards the end, via the speed metal style of drumming. Yes, I'm thrilled to say that Instrument of Delusion has much variety (thus avoiding boredom and repetition) that is handled with care in terms of implementation, thus preventing the music from turning into a clumsy disaster of notes. The speed that "Blazing Souls" possessed is toned down a bit on the following track "Crimson Forest;" indeed it's flow is still relatively fast, but the little loss in momentum is compensated for with very strong guitar work on the leads and the solo. Towards the end of "Crimson Forest," Penetrum returns to the quickening pace of "Blazing Souls" by adding scorching "first-wave" black metal drumming with furious "second-wave" wave black metal tremolo picking. 

Now, to quench the listener's thirst after that blazing sprint through the forest, we see Penetrum slow down quite a bit on the track "Blood Taste's Like Lead." Nikita Volkov takes a break from the harsh vocals for a short moment and soothes the listener's ear with delicate clean singing. The hoarse screaming only reappears on the chorus of the song and far towards the end of the track. The guitars also take a step back into a low tempo supporting role and allow Volkov to execute his task proficiently. The clean singing on "Blood Tastes Like Lead" is not bad at all, nor is it perfect; it’s just right and suits the production well.

I encountered one blemish which appeared on the track "Amok." On this track, the production at the very beginning of the song sounded very choppy and faded, as though it had been recorded and printed on a poor quality of cassette reel. Thankfully, this doesn't persist and only lasts for a very short period of time. Overall, the production is sturdy and does not in any way come across as being too clean. It seems to have some likeness in terms of black metal, which is unusual in melodic death metal; however, it works out well and positively contributes to the way Penetrum plays their its of music.

"Caprice of Delusion" is an instrumental track that slowly builds into a blizzard of barraging guitar melodies, leads and riffs. The guitars take full command over this six-minute epic; it's a track that constantly changes its melody and pace while distributing memorable bits of melody. It brings the album to a decent end, and although clocking at 45-minutes long, the listener's sense of time is lost throughout the entirety of the album. Because of this, I can say that Penetrum's 2018 debut offering is truly an instrument of delusion.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10