Sidious
Ascension to the Throne ov Self

June 2013
Released: 2013, Kaotoxin Records
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Metal-Rules.com UK Team

Featuring two members of Eye of Solitude and produced by the brilliant Russ Russell; whose previous accolades include Dimmu Borgir, Lockup and Napalm Death, comes the debut EP from UK Black Metal band Sidious entitled Ascension to the Throne ov Self.



The first thing you’ll notice when listening to this debut release is that this simply is not a typical fuzzy sounding debut Black Metal demo, you can instantly hear that a lot of time and effort has been put into not only the immense overall production and sound of the album but also the song writing and guitar, keyboard & drum playing is impeccable.



For a debut release this stands out as being extremely impressive and I personally feel can easily rank alongside other big name bands such as Behemoth, Zyklon, Hypocrisy and Emperor. The songs are all catchy and have a great range of dynamics in riffs, tempos and vocal styles that keep you wanting to hear more right from the get go.



The material certainly is powerful as well and makes me wonder how much better it will sound live as I’m sure a band such as Sidious will be in their absolute element performing live. The energy in the studio material alone definitely gives a strong precursor to how impressive I am sure this band will be when on stage.



In terms of standout tracks from the release… …well, there are only 4 tracks on the EP to be fair and they are all honestly skull crushingly brilliant. I honestly could not pick a best one as they are all fantastic, but I will say this; despite what some people may or may not feel about Dimmu Borgir, I have not felt this enthusiastic and excited about hearing a band for the first time since hearing Dimmu Borgir for the first time and hearing their incredible overall sound!



Sidious have come forth out of the darkness with this release and will undoubtedly take the Metal world by surprise. For a debut release this is something for a lot of people and Black Metal fans especially to take note of. Sidious are here… …and I’m sure they will be a name to be ranked highly in the future.



Review by Joffie Lovett