Both Oceano and deathcore had entered a transitional phase around the time Ascendants was released, one that, for the band at least, was necessary after the release of the weaker Incisions in 2013. As increasingly polished production and cinematic orchestration was slowly entering the genre, the Chicago outfit has always tried to stand behind the same formula of testo-chug: lay down a set of monotonous, simple riffs and let Adam Warren sound like the apocalypse.
I'm a big fan and own both Depths (2009) and Contagion (2010), with the former having achieved landmark status within the genre, and the later having several enjoyable tracks nonetheless. I've personally even had a blast with Incisions despite the colder response from the press ("Slave of Corporotocracy" and "Blasphemous Mask" are really great). But who are we kidding, we're talking about a band wholly hated by the non-core metal community. Another reason to listen to them.
Thus, at that point of the scene's transition and the experimentation with prog or melodic ambitions by flagship or smaller bands, Oceano slightly re-directed their hammers without altering anything essential. Ascendants remains unmistakably their own in terms of sound, but the concept moves to the extraterrestrial and a light sense of atmosphere is introduced, if that's even possible for this particular outfit. The first hint is given from the spectacular artwork by Dusty Peterson, as the record still relies heavily on dropped-down groove, exposed heavy riffs and above all, its leading vocalist.
Opening piece "Nephilim" begins with a fast-paced, black metal-esque introduction followed by a bare one note breakdown section, and the first indications of a more expanded sense of melody come with the clean guitar motifs behind the distortion on "Transient Gateways" and "The World Engine", which are both otherwise quite straightforward, as is the whole of Ascendants. The production offers as much sonic space as possible for the guitar lines to sound colossal, always keeping Warren in the forefront.
In my view, few vocalists in deathcore can pull off the combination of sparse high-pitched screams with growls that often drop to unfathomable gutturals (exactly where he sounds best for me), as well as this guy, as he alone has preserved my interest for this band even at times of listening to a lot more "perplexed" underground death metal. The first track that truly stuck out for me on the record was "Dead Planet", but there are a lot more memorable moments all around, especially at the record's end: "The Dulce Incident", "Arc of Creation", and "External Existence".
Very little is out place, yet there are very little elements that puzzle this album together anyway. Oceano consciously attempt to repetitively perform at a certain pace and variety, detonating groove after groove and breakdown after breakdown, yet there are sparks of melody that add a texture to the band's clear deathcore portfolio. Very subtle electronic layers and ambient passages give Ascendants the broader vision the band didn't have up to that point, which is evident almost everywhere (indicatively, check "Dawn of Descent").
The record includes both of the above without either of the two losing screen time, as the band somehow went for a more coherent work rather than chasing thin peaks of memorability in specific moments or parts. Perhaps my expectations were simply shaped too heavily by the band's earlier catalogue. I still associate Oceano with those absurdly heavy, almost cartoonishly violent records that first initiated my interest for this style, even though Ascendants shows growth that doesn't replace the direct force that characterizes the band.
At an interesting middle ground and mirroring the scene's state of affairs during the mid-2010s, the record retains their brutality while cautiously incorporating a little bit more expansive songwriting. It would have been illogical for this to be another Depths in 2015. A perfect album to mindlessly nod to, and easy to completely dissect if you put the "strict reviewer" glasses on. I feel lucky to have at least caught this undercurrent at its birth and evolution.
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