The Radicant – We Ascend

The Radicant – We Ascend
Release Date: 12th July 2024
Label: Kscope
Bandcamp
Genre: Alt Rock, Electronic Rock.
FFO: older Skillet, Cold Night for Alligators, Earthside.
Review By: Andy Spoon

Inspired by a term used in Botany and the study of growth, a radicant represent an effect of rapid change, adaption, and ability to build a strong root system in adverse conditions, something that The Radicant want to espouse in their July 12th release, We Ascend on KScope. Fans of post-rock and alt-rock might be familiar with vocalist Vincent Cavanagh from his years of work with alt-rock staple Anathema, a band who needs little introduction for fans of the genre. While Anathema hasn’t been as active as previous years, it appears that Cavanagh’s efforts have been to seek “new ground” in which to flourish. 

The main voice of the release is an ethereal, electronic rock performance that’s largely guided by the vocal smoothness that Cavanagh’s delivery has etched into the genre. One of the interesting things about the tonal note of the EP is the use of the upright bass in several of the tracks. There’s a “buzzy” effect to it that isn’t often heard in rock music, giving the EP somewhat of a unique vibe. While at least half of the EP is just synth and vocal, you won’t often get to experience it, but it’s very clear on the single Zero Blue (NSS Mix), which I found to be a great track. I think that this is going to reach out to electronic music fans as well as those who enjoy progressive rock and metal as well. The Radicant have found a way to add a little bit of spice to the overall tone of that song with a single instrument, something that I find very cool to experience. 

That being said, I don’t know if I like the fact that the main single is titled as an alternative mix. It’s similar to having the title track of an album feature a guest vocalist. You know you’re not really getting the full experience of the rest of the album. I’ve been bait-and-switched by remix or guest vocal single too-many times. That being said, I don’t think that the NSS Mix is deviated from the rest of We Ascend to such a degree that it emulates that effect. I think that if anything, the NSS mic single is a little more lively, something that I’d be happier to see when an LP comes out. 

I think that generally, this is going to be an EP that reaches out to fans of progressive rock bands like Cold Night for Alligators, Earthside, Tesseract, etc, but with more of an electronic angle that has some early-2000s flavor. If you’re a fan of Cavanagh’s other work, this will be a little different, but in a good way. You definitely don’t need to be a fan of Anathema to enjoy We Ascend…and frankly, it might be a hindrance, as the style is tweaked to such a degree that it is a whole new animal, which is probably why Cavanagh didn’t seem interested in continuing it as Anathema’s work (in my impression). I think it’s great for rock listeners, but probably not the general flavor of metal music fans who aren’t into progressive.

(3 / 5)