I first heard Ascension of The Watchers back in 2005 with the release of this first EP, Iconoclast, and was completely taken aback by this beautiful melodic debut collaboration from two of the music scene's icons of metal/industrial, Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory, G/Z/R) and John Bechdel (Prong, Fear Factory, Ministry, Killing Joke, Murder Inc., False Icons). Ascension of The Watchers first started in 2002 during a Fear Factory sabbatical when Fear Factory leader Burton C. Bell left the craziness of Los Angeles to visit touring-mate and friend John Bechdel at his home in rural Pennsylvania. Bechdel and Bell and discussed collaborating on something together but Bechdel was under the impression that Bell would be bringing full songs ready to go. Instead Burton showed up with a guitar, some basic ideas, and a desire for a true collaboration between the two. The end result is this fascinating 2005 EP that genre-wise is somewhat hard to categorize but mixes elements of goth, shoe-gaze and ethereal with just good old fashioned singer/songwriting. The EP is a very spiritual journey and has a breathtakingly peaceful quality that can best be attributed to the band's surroundings in the aforementioned rural Pennsylvania. I grew up in Western Massachusetts and spent my undergrad days in upstate New York so I can attest to the serenity that one feels, especially in comparison to the mental fog that can get created when you're in an area like LA for too long in addition to the constant touring that both men have participated in for so long. I've been a Fear Factory fan for a long time but this side of Bell really shows off some of his other talents including passionate, beautiful vocals that compliment very understated lyrics. The lyrical content of this release is very poetic but is configured in to the music as an element rather than the focal point which to me helps showcase the intoxicating arrangements. The album name Iconoclast traditionally refers to the deliberate destruction of a particular religion within a society by the society itself, usually to make way for new modes of belief. I think that are probably a few things the band may be referring to here but to me I get this sense that is symbolizes the tearing down of the type of music and way of life that Bell had become accustomed to and even a symbol for to make way for this EP which I think reads as a rebirth for Bell. For a man that certainly was burnt out from Fear Factory at the time, you certainly wouldn't know it from this mini-album which is just full of passion and in Bell and Bechdel's own words is very heartfelt. I love that all of the songs tend to lean on the long side as they really have time to develop and fester, especially the last track, "Quintessence" at just over ten minutes and without vocals. This song reminds me a lot of Godspeed You! Black Emperor and shows a very experimental side of the band that contrasts nicely with a more folk-pop song like "Moonshine" (my favorite song the album). All of the songs would be slightly redone, extended, remastered, recorded, etc. for the bands much more wide-spread full-length 2008 release Numinosum but I love the raw nature of the recordings on this release. The newer versions are good but I have a certain affinity towards these early recordings like being in on Bell and Bechdel's process. This self-released EP comes in a beautiful foldout digipak adorned with really haunting yet serene photography by Burton C. Bell and also features an interactive program that has the bands bio, a short interview and a music video for "On The River". The music video is fairly simple with one sustained scene of Bell and Bechdel in a boat on a river presumably near Bechdel's home with the camera in between the two just spinning around and catching both men contemplating and Bell singing along. This isn't an amazing video but serves the song well in creating a dizzying quality like spinning around in circles until collapsing on the ground with the giggles. The short interview is a highlight of this release as Bell and Bechdel discuss the origins of the band while signing AOTW posters (which are great and have the band's killer icon). There's a very casual element to the interview that matches the colloquial quality to the album. This EP is a rare find but if you spot it then I highly suggest adding it to your collection. Favorite Tracks: On The River, Moonshine, and Quintessence
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