Pelican’s Ascending continues the band’s long-standing journey through instrumental post-metal, delivering another immersive exploration of weighty atmospheres, layered guitars, and crushing low-end textures. While it captures the band’s signature mood and tone, the EP doesn’t quite reach the heights of their most iconic work. Across its runtime, Ascending leans into the slower, more contemplative side of Pelican’s sound, balancing doom-laden riffs with fleeting moments of delicate clarity. However, the pacing and consistency occasionally falter, leaving a few passages feeling less focused than their strongest material.

The title track opens with Pelican’s trademark deep, crunchy riffs, anchored by a bass that is both prominent and playful, with subtle slides adding a sense of motion and heft. The rhythm section is clean and precise, though the drums sometimes feel a bit too straightforward to fully propel the song. When the tempo picks up, transitions between riffs can feel slightly clunky, yet in the slower, weightier sections, the guitars swell into a cinematic, almost monumental presence. Pelican’s skill in crafting immersive atmosphere shines in the middle section, where low-tuned bass ushers in softer, nuanced passages. Sparse plucked riffs and subdued percussion create contrast, allowing the listener to experience the full range of dynamics before the track returns to its mix of heavy and light textures.

Cascading Crescent introduces a new dimension with Geoff Rickly’s mid-range screams and occasional clean vocals. Here, Pelican feels tighter than on other tracks, with denser riffs and more dynamic drumming supporting the vocal lines. The interplay between harsh and clean passages is effective, and the lyrics—exploring civilization’s moral contradictions—add thematic depth that complements the band’s typically instrumental storytelling. The song flows naturally, and the clean vocals sit comfortably in the mix, giving the track a more structured, song-like quality that distinguishes it from the purely instrumental cuts.

Adrift returns to Pelican’s pure instrumental territory, trading vocals for melancholy, high-pitched riffs, and hollow, echoing drums. The track moves through a slow climb and descent, punctuated by bursts of crushing bass and weighty riffing. It’s reflective, moody, and quintessentially Pelican, though the tension doesn’t always escalate as dramatically as it might, leaving some passages feeling meditative rather than urgent.

The EP closes with Tending the Embers, leaning fully into hypnotic stoner-metal repetition. The bass remains deep and prominent, the riffs slow and trance-inducing, and the drums provide subtle tension without overcrowding the mix. The first minute can feel a touch static, but midsection shifts in rhythm help maintain interest. Its strength lies in atmosphere and mood, a testament to Pelican’s mastery of slow-burn, immersive soundscapes rather than dynamic surprises.

Overall, Ascending is a solid yet uneven release. Pelican’s command of mood, layered instrumentation, and textural depth is unmistakable, and the EP offers moments of profound heaviness and subtle nuance. However, some tracks lean too heavily on repetition, and a few could benefit from sharper dynamics to elevate them to the band’s usual high standard. Still, for fans of Pelican’s brand of instrumental post-metal, Ascending delivers plenty to appreciate—dense, immersive, and evocative, even if it stops just short of their most exhilarating work.