In a nutshell: The Ascendicate's melodic hardcore style fits right in with the Solid State family, having brothers like Haste the Day. For a debut release, To Die as Kings proves that The Ascendicate doesn't need a few tries before they find their sound. With good melodies and hooky choruses, they show they know a little something about songwriting. The musicianship is not to shabby either, displaying tight harmonizing guitar riffs and a locking rhythm section. They convey relatable messages through mature lyrics like, "don't let this burden flee from me… the pain is teaching me who I need be." Overall, To Die as Kings is an impressive debut album.
—By Andrea Dawn Goforth