This Ascension
Alternative / Gothic Rock
This Ascension came together in Fall of 1988. Once the desire swept over Tim Tutle and Kevin Serra to play outside Tim's loft, they found Terry Holgate, a seminal figure in the underground music scene in the Santa Barbara area. Terry in turn found drummer Matt Ballasteros, and Matt found vocalist Dru.
The band recorded the "Isabella" single and subsequent album Tears In Rain after having been together merely five months. A stark effort, it unexpectedly put them in the "college rock" category, and the band started getting attention by way of CMJ Reports, Rockpool, and curiously, fan letters. Over the next few years, the band released two other records more in the Gothic/Darkwave genre. Light & Shade and Walk Softly, a Dream Lies Here both found critical acclaim and the band toured the west coast extensively as well as the U.S. Over four years went by after Walk Softly..., but at last the fourth and final album Sever was released. The most mature and diverse record to date, Sever features final bass player Charlie Dennis (formerly starring in Nerfherder), as well as percussionist Paul Sutherland, who both stayed with the band the final few years. For the Sever album the band was lucky to have producer John Rivers behind the controls (Dead Can Dance, Tones On Tail), as well as engineer Chad Blinman (Face to Face, Faith & the Muse).
While the band called it quits in 2002, a small reunion tour is scheduled for Summer 2004 featuring all the original members as well as the return of Walk Softly bassist Cynthia Coulter.
|