Post-metal icons PELICAN have released the "Ascending" EP via Run For Cover, a four-track companion to their 2025 album "Flickering Resonance." The Chicago instrumental quartet, who have been shaping the post-metal landscape since their formation in 2000, continue to demonstrate that their brand of wordless heavy music remains as evocative and powerful as ever.
The title track was recorded during the "Flickering Resonance" album sessions but left off as a standalone piece, deemed too distinct in mood and structure to fit the album's narrative arc. It stands as one of the band's most dynamic recent compositions, building from a meditative opening into a crushing crescendo that showcases their mastery of tension and release.
The EP's most surprising moment comes in the form of a vocal version of "Cascading Crescent" featuring Geoff Rickly of THURSDAY, marking one of the rare occasions PELICAN have incorporated vocals into their music. Rickly's emotive delivery adds a new dimension to the track without diminishing the instrumental power that defines the band. Two additional tracks — "Adrift" and "Tending the Embers" — were previously available only on a limited cassette run sold at a handful of shows in 2025, making this their first wide release.
The EP offers a mellower, almost post-rock side of the band's instrumental mastery, providing a contemplative counterpoint to the heavier moments on "Flickering Resonance." PELICAN remain one of the most consistent and respected acts in the post-metal world, and "Ascending" reinforces their ability to create deeply moving music without a single word.