LORD Ascendence (2007) CD

Australian power metal has always punched well above its weight, and Lord are one of the reasons why. Ascendence, released in 2007, is the solo project of Dungeon mastermind Adrian 'Lord' Asham, stepping out from under that band's shadow and staking his own claim on the melodic metal landscape. Big hooks, bigger production, and the kind of songwriting ambition that makes you forget you're supposed to be too cool for this.

If you're the kind of person who owns Edguy and Avantasia records without irony, and you have opinions about concept albums and progressive structures, this sits comfortably in that lineage. Lord understood that Australian metal didn't need to be brutal to be serious, and Ascendence makes that case convincingly across every track. This is the good stuff from a genuinely underappreciated corner of the local alternative music scene.

Format: CD, full length album. Country of origin: Australia. Fans of: Dungeon, Edguy, Avantasia, Ayreon, Espionage.