ARC OF ASCENT 'HIGHER KEY' 1ST.PRESS w/STICKER,POSTER,3 PHOTOS #'d MRBLD VNL LP

	A$		40
	$		27

HISTORY LESSON: Datura were a New Zealand power trio who released just two albums - "Allisone" in 1998, and "Visions For The Celestial" in 1999 - on CD only originally. Masterpieces of heavy psych.

They split up in 1999.

Reconvening some years later as Arc Of Ascent (with some different members, but with the mainman intact), they released a debut album in 2010. Then they arrived with this, their second album. 

As with Datura, and as with the first album ("Circle Of The Sun") this is pure 10-outta-ten stuff. Part wild psych with monster guitar solo-ing, part stoner-ish with heavy Sabbath-style riffing and Iommi-style guitar - all the while with some delightful trippy passages. Again, as with Datura, it is LADEN with massive amounts of unbelieeeeevable guitar playing....NO HOLDING BACK ON THE WAH-WAH AND FUZZ PEDALS!! 

And again, if you inhabit the world of prog, psych, and stoner, and you somehow don't know this, you're in for one helluva treat.

 This was a German limited edition of 775 on vinyl - the first 175 were on grey marbled vinyl (looks great - kinda like real marble), with 3 colour postcards (a live pic of each band member), plus a large vinyl sticker of a black and white rendition of the front cover artwork, and a foldout poster of same artwork - one hell of a fine package!! 

Then there were 200 each on red, and orange vinyl, with the 3 postcards but those two editions had no poster or sticker. 

And also 200 on black vinyl, again with postcards but no sticker or poster. All 775 were hand-numbered. 

This is one of those super-rare grey marbled vinyl copies. And is #103/175.

ARTIST:    ARC OF ASCENT 

TITLE:     "THE HIGHER KEY" 

FORMAT:              ...vinyl LP...33rpm…
LABEL:              Clostridium
CATALOGUE #:   CR-004
PRESSED IN:       GERMANY

CONDITION: (cover/record):  (MINT / MINT)... 

...BRAND NEW - NEVER PLAYED...comes in beautiful gatefold cover...

Tracks

SIDE 1:

CELESTIAL ALTAR

LAND OF TIDES

SEARCH FOR LIBERATION

SIDE 2:

REDEMPTION

ELEMENTAL KINGDOM

THROUGH THE RAYS OF INFINITY

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Here's a couple of reviews that get into where the band's coming from, but regardless of how 'wordy' it all gets, all you really need to remember is that this is one mother of a huge heavy psych MONSTER, this album...but read on anyway - they get right into it:

1. Arc Of Ascent are a ridiculously hard-rocking trio from Hamilton, consisting of vocalist/bassist Craig Williamson, guitarist Sandy Schaare, and drummer John Strange. You might remember the outpouring of critical acclaim that their debut album, Circle Of The Sun, received in 2010. Such a wealth of expectation must have made the follow-up record difficult to conceive and execute. But that is exactly what they've done. It's called The Higher Key and it fulfills every promise of the first album as well as blowing expectations out of the water.

The first thing that strikes you as opening track 'Celestial Altar' starts up is how good the album sounds sonically. It is clear that much of the past two years has been spent refining their sound and getting every single tone on the record pitch perfect. As such the highs soar higher and the lows cut deeper than ever before. There is a magic in all of this that is hard to put your finger on. Perhaps it is in the wordless chanted chorus of 'Elemental Kingdom' that bleeds into Schaare's blazing guitar solos. Or maybe its in the ominous vocal harmonies of 'Land Of Tides'. More likely though it is the rock-solid groove that the band establishes on the first song and holds onto until the very last note has faded from your speakers. This unity of purpose culminates on the gob-smacking closer 'Through The Rays Of Infinity' that lives up to its name and much more.

What you have in The Higher Key is a more focused collection of songs than Circle Of The Sun, a lot of which owes to the fact that album was written, recorded, and produced within a much shorter period of time than their debut was. This more deliberate approach might not make for any obvious singles (Circle Of The Sun's 'Godhead' was destined to be such) but it makes for an engaging listening experience which will be hard to top this year. The key to their success is that these three gentlemen work seamlessly together like a single three-headed, twelve-limbed rock monster. Basslines and guitar riffs share the spotlight, each knowing when to wax, when to wane, and when to freak out with reckless abandon. Drummer John Strange is again a workhorse on the kit, pounding away as if his very life depended upon it. The Higher Key is a wonderfully crafted and heartfelt record that gracefully sidesteps the dreaded sophomore album slump and is bound to put the band back on the map.

2. This is it... tune in, tune out, let the riffs wash over you and shield you from the harsh reality of this world - New Zealand's Grand Master of psychedelic rock, Craig Williamson, is back with his not so new band ARC OF ASCENT. 'The Higher Key' is their second album and again ARC OF ASCENT managed to construct a somewhat spiritual, yet brutal, hybrid of super-thick riffs and doom-induced heaviness. There's no doubt about it: this album is heavier than a herd of pachyderms. Despite all its crushing riff-power, 'The Higher Key' is meditative in some way, uplifting, and mystical. There's some sort of an Indian and Oriental vibe underneath all this riffs, which is partly due to Craig Williamson's mesmerizing vocal lines.

Its really interesting to hear how ARC OF ASCENT create their special kind of super heavy psychedelica. There are no swirling sonic effects or any other gimmicks. Moreover, the band makes no use of 1960's/1970's revivalism. But the interaction between Eastern harmonies, massive riffs and trippy guitar effects conjure up an otherworldly scenario of psychoactive quality. The massively fuzzed-out riffs evoke an archaic mood while the lyrics are rather cryptic, leaving the listener free to roam his own mental landscapes as the ARC OF ASCENT machine tears it all down. In addition 'The Higher Key' is more than just a collection of riffs, but those who are familiar with Craig Williamson's musical career know that he can write a song.

Exactly as with the marvellous first album 'Circle Of The Sun', 'The Higher Key' features six long and powerful songs. The earthy clay-brown colour tone of the cover artwork perfectly reflects the tonal earthiness of the new album. 'Circle Of The Sun' was more like a reach for the stars but now the time has come for some grounded shaman rituals. For my part, I'll be there too because 'The Higher Key' truly is a stunner!

The Small Print

(it's a good idea to read this)

POSTAGE:

: first class airmail to UK, all of Europe, Israel / South America / Central America / Africa / Continental Asia (Russia, Turkey, etc.): AU$21.95

: first class airmail to Japan / Asia-Pacific (China, Thailand, Korea, Singapore, India, etc.): AU$19.95

: first class airmail to New Zealand: AU$15.95

: within Australia: AU$7.50

Combining Postage

...take note: 
..postage costs come down considerably per LP/12" if you happen to win more than one...(for instance, to the UK/USA/Europe, etc., winning extra LPs/12"s means adding AU$6.90 extra postage for the second, and even less for a third....or AU$2.00 within Australia for each extra LP)...

WE MAIL OUT AT LEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK.