As I may have said a time or two on here, I like my NWOBHM, and I like my progressive rock just as much. In this post, I want to draw your attention to the latest offering from the quite wonderful Nth Ascension – a progressive/rock band you may not have heard of and one of the highest order.
I’ve reviewed their previous albums here and here (both first class albums too). Now, with Stranger than Fiction, Nth Ascension have of upped their game to even higher levels. This is an album which does not disappoint on any level. It’s got the lot…….
The Opening kicks it off with something of an eerie/spooky/haunting instrumental. True Identity follows which features a very strong riff as the song drives along giving a fine five minutes of prog/heavy/symphonic rock with the guitar/bass/drums locking together more than beefed up by fine keyboard work and a powerful vocal.
This is proper stuff indeed. Have a look at/listen to the video for True Identity. It’s a bit “trippy” too……
Fire in the Sky is a similar vein though with a more “pastoral” feel as Darrel Treece-Birch flexes his considerable keyboard skills. Next we get in to the longer stuff and the beautifully crafted ten minutes of Reconciled on which Martin Walker’s guitar features strongly and some deft fretwork which compliments the song well.
We then venture in to the long-running Clanaan saga (features on Nth’s previous two albums) and the continuing high class, inventive prog of The Gathering and the wonderful fifteen minutes of Journey’s End which somehow manages to be a bit of everything expertly constructed and delivered.
But wait – there’s more……an eighteen minute closer in the form of Sound to Light. Superlative stuff. A slow, gentle start with more Treece-Birch keyboard wizardry as it builds towards a rocked up middle section and goes back again. A remarkable composition.
There’s so much first class musicianship, ability and talent in Nth Ascension and they’ve put it all in here to maximum effect on Stranger than Fiction. Rock fan, prog fan, whatever – it’s an essential listen and will grow on you with each listen as the deceptive complexity (yet accessibility) of each song reveals more and more.
NTH ASCENSION STRANGER THAN FICTION MP3 ALBUM ON AMAZON HERE
Or if, like me, you prefer a CD, check out the band’s Facebook page and buy direct from there:
https://en-gb.facebook.com/NthAscensionMusic/
It’s surely prog-rock album of the year!
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