Birmingham, England’s Justin Broadrick is known for his membership in Napalm Death and Godflesh. However, his Jesu project has been quite the surprise. Broadrick still enjoys songs of epic length, but the musical attack has opened up quite a bit. Ascension is a thoughtfully calibrated album that deals in pure song forms. The vocals are often either submerged under the music or barely above it to create a ghostly effect that pushes up the ambience. For this reason alone, it’s important for songs like “Fools,” “Broken Home” and “December” to keep their length. Most amazing is the tuneful nature of the tracks. “Birth Day” would be a near-conventional pop hit for a Goth label such as 4AD Records. In other news, the album title perfectly reflects the spiritual nature of the album. It is the sound of a soul reaching forward, making greater connection with the world outside. The shock and awe is in each song’s majestic beauty. Highly recommended.