On 24 March 2023, Paradise Lost announced on their Facebook page that touring drummer Guido Montanarini had become an official member of the band. In a November 2023 interview with Portugal's
Metal Global,
Nick Holmes said that Paradise Lost had been working on new material for the follow-up to
Obsidian: "Hopefully at the beginning of next year, we can have a few months downtime so we can actually get working more on the album. But... I think we've got a few songs done; we need to review them. So, yeah, we'll hopefully write an album next year, anyway. Whether it's gonna be recorded [next year], I don't know, but hopefully at least written". In May 2025, prior to the release of
Ascension, Montanarini became the sixth drummer to leave Paradise Lost; On 6 June 2025, the band announced the release date of
Ascension, while also releasing the album's lead single entitled "Silence Like the Grave". ==Track listing==