Ignescent, a female-fronted heavy rock/alternative metal band from Chicago, has been making themselves known. I’ve seen coverage on Christian metal sites and confirmed appearances at large festivals and even a tour that swings by my neck of the woods. I’m getting the feeling I should pay attention. Ignescent come at us with their 2nd full length album from Frontiers named “Eternal.” Given the art features a chariot of fire, a direct reference to the Prophet Elijah, I can tell they are not ashamed of a faith-based message in their music.
Founded in 2018 by lead singer Jennifer Benson, Ignescent is a vehicle of hope for those that struggle. Pulling from personal experiences with anxiety and depression, she wanted to put a positive spin on heavy music to help others. From what I can piece together, a steady lineup hasn’t yet been established, but the band has landed some popular singles along the way including “Not Today” that landed #1 on the Christian Rock Billboards. With the vote of confidence from Frontiers, there is a lot of build up to this release.
As bright as the cover is, the music is dark driven by deep rumbly bass and heavy guitars with Jennifer’s voice as the light among the grooving darkness. The songs land in a radio-friendly format that shows off their strengths and stays true to the sound they have cultivated, taking chances. Not a bad move, but it feels conventional and lacks the intrigue that seems to be harder than ever to find these days. Lyrically, there are clear expressions of faith that will be encouraging to Christians in the declaration of self-worth being a child of God.
The spotlight for me is Jennifer’s voice as she commands great technical execution, but even better can cover those intangible characteristics to make the lyrics come alive. At times she handles some neat rhythms and some hooky melodies that has a pop princess style at times such as on “Joker” and “Fight For Me”, but she also can bring it down to the low-lighted acoustic setting on “Light Up The Night.” Her singing is worth price of admission. To give some contrast to her voice, there are some guest spots where Jermaine Nixon (Tricord) throws down a rap on “Shame Shadow” and Clint Lowery (Sevendust) adds a masculine counter voice in “Chariot of Fire.” These, along with the gang vocals, help to keep the vocals fresh throughout the album.
The songs have a safe feel to them, not stretching any elements too far and focusing on what they do well. The three to almost-four-minute length songs work well with this approach where any longer would have lost me. The guitars lacked any particular character other than being heavy as they rehash nu and alternative metal riffs only long enough to get to the vocals going. The songs aren’t bad and do cover that heavy rock feel, but similar to Peyton Parrish, it’s a great voice with a heavy metal façade that starts sounding the same. That said, the drums and rhythms throughout were enjoyable, contributing quite a bit to an infectious vibe.
The lyrics land with one foot in the Christian world and one in mental health, both planted for the common good. Topics of faith cover a relatively wide range such as God’s providence in “Alone In The Dark,” proclamation of our eternal worth as God’s children in “Eternal,” and even spiritual warfare in “Shame Shadow.” Although a Christian angle may still be present, I felt there were a good number of mental health topics touched on with the likes of “Joker” and “Scream.”
In the end, this record lands in a similar heavy rock space as Skillet and P.O.D. without the bite, but with a great female vocal lead. It feels like a dark cabaret that focuses a spotlight on the quite talented Jennifer Benson. There is some good stuff here as I never did skip a track and have listened to it plenty. I have high hopes for the future of Ignescent and look forward to them blazing through Christian rock world.
Rating: 8.0/10
Written by Sean Bailey
Tracklist
1 – Joker
2 – Scream
3 – Fight For Me
4 – Fearless
5 – Shame Shadow
6 – Our Love Dies
7 – Light Up The Night
8 – Alone In The Dark
9 – Chariot Of Fire
10 – Eternal
Ignescent is:
Jennifer Benson – vocals
Andre Leon – guitar
Mikey Green – bass
Kohl Coryll – drums
Release Date: March 20, 2026
Record Label: Frontiers Records
Discography:
Fight In Me (2023)
Eternal (2026)
Social Media: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
Video for Chariot of Fire
Video for Joker
Video for Light Up The Night