Few bands embodied the metallic edge of Cleveland hardcore in the late 1990s quite like Ascension. Emerging from the same Northeast Ohio scene that produced bands such as Integrity, Ringworm, and Apartment 213, the group blended hardcore with metal influences on their two albums, 1996's The Years of Fire, and 1999's Abomination.
Though the band eventually called it a day, their music has continued to resonate with longtime fans of the era, particularly since their catalog recently became available on streaming platforms.
Now, Ascension are preparing to return to the stage for the first time in years as part of a special Cleveland show celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Years of Fire. Sharing the bill with fellow Cleveland veterans Skipline, the event will reunite key members of both bands and serve as a tribute to a pivotal period in Northeast Ohio hardcore history.
I caught up with guitarist Matt DeVries to discuss how the reunion came together, what fans can expect from the set, and whether this one-off appearance could lead to more activity in the future. For a deeper dive into Asension's history, check out my previous interview with DeVries from 2024.
The obvious question here is what led to the upcoming reunion show? Was it a long time in the making, or did conversations just start more recently?
Honestly, this came from an idea that [Chimaira vocalist] Mark Hunter and [Chimaira bassist] Jim LaMarca had. Conversations and planning only started a couple of months ago.
Our bands, Ascension and Skipline, started playing shows together about 30 years ago. It also happens that Ascension's first record, The Years of Fire, is turning 30 this year, so it felt like the right time to do something fun with it. We reached out to all the guys, and everyone was on board right away. There will also be more surprises coming soon to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Years of Fire.
Who will be in the band's lineup for the show? Also, what can people expect from the setlist? Have you even worked that out yet?
Ascension:
- Chris Wood — vocals
- Matt DeVries — guitar
- Craig Ramsey — drums
- Big Metal Dave — bass
Skipline:
- Mark Hunter — guitar/vocals
- Jim LaMarca — bass
- Craig Esper — vocals
- Ed Gandolf — guitar
- Ben Schigel — drums
We're still working on the setlist, but Ascension plans on playing a strong selection of songs from both 'The Years of Fire' and 'Abomination,' along with a few cool surprises.
Talk to me a bit about Skipline and the other band playing the show, Vicar Blood.
Skipline is a Cleveland band that definitely made some noise in the mid-to-late '90s. It was Mark and Jim's band before Chimaira, with Ben Schigel on drums, who also co-produced and recorded both Ascension's The Years of Fire and Skipline's material back in the day at Spider Studios.
All of us in Ascension were fans of Skipline early on. Eventually we became friends with the band and played plenty of shows together.
Vicar Blood is a Cleveland-based death metal band that's already starting to generate some buzz in the local heavy music scene. We're stoked to watch them as well.
There's also one more band that has yet to be announced.
You know people are going to ask, so I will here: Can we expect more shows in 2027, and will there be any new Ascension material coming our way?
Nothing is planned at the moment. We're just focusing on this show for now. But you never know.
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The Ascension reunion show goes down on Friday, November 13, 2026, at Globe Iron in Cleveland. Tickets are available at this link.
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