adg211288 Ascension to the Throne ov Self is a 2013 EP release from UK extreme metal act Sidious. This is the first ever release from the group under this name; they were previously known as Seed of Detest from 2009 – 2012, in which demo material was produced. The band shares a couple of members with the death-doom act Eye of Solitude.

The music on Ascension to the Throne ov Self is blackened death metal in a symphonic form, although I’m thinking perhaps blackened symphonic death metal is perhaps a slightly more accurate way of phrasing Sidious’ genre since it’s clear straight away that actual black metal is the minority ingredient in the music next to the death and symphonic elements, despite the group’s corpse-painted image. The vocals are most definitely more often death metal standard than black, while the music overall tends to feature more death metal orientated playing.

The music itself shows promise for Sidious but it’s also clear to me that this young band aren’t quite there yet. The songs are more or less solid but I can’t help feel that some honing would have upped the quality by at least a grade. There are, for example, some instances where blast beats seem to be relied on a bit too much, something which is hardly unique to Sidious but all the same when the blast beat is overpowering the rest of what is going on that’s when I start to lose interest. The symphonic elements however, as well as the use of piano, quickly prove to be the highlight of the band’s sound. They’re used as the main source of melody here, adding contrasting ideas against the very aggressive sound coming out of the rest of the instrumentalists, who have produced a suitably fast paced intense attack on the eardrums.

Where the band shines the most here is the title track, which closes the EP. Combining the best elements of the three preceding tracks, but adding in a more black metal orientated approach both to the music and vocals as well as utilising a section where the metal is withdrawn to show off the symphonic side, it’s a showcase just how epic the music of Sidious could be in the future once they’ve worked out their craft a bit more. Out of the other tracks Sentient Race strikes me as being a cut above Insurmountable Mass and Nihilistic Regeneration. All are enjoyable songs but as it stands I’m not confident that I’m hearing enough to convince me that Sidious could quite hold a full-length together yet. A good album (or EP, in this case) rating is deserved for Ascension to the Throne ov Self all the same, and I’ll be watching their career with great interest.

70/100

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven: http://metaltube.freeforums.org/sidious-ascension-to-the-throne-ov-self-t3055.html)