It's pretty obvious that all the members of
Ascension were die hard metalheads back in their high school days. And with their first full-length
The Years of Fire, this is
Ascension's way of showing off their appreciation for metal. Of course it's heavy and moshy, but one would have to question the seriousness of this band. Not only are there shout outs to
Poison,
Twisted Sister,
Ratt and the Dark Lord himself, but there's even a quote on the back cover from everyone's favorite Satanist
Anton LaVey. So the question is, are
Ascension really that evil? With songs that deal with animal rights, to pro-choice, to dealing with their own personal demons (no pun intended), the whole evil thing is more of a gimmick; a very funny one at that. Perfect for an evening of head banging.