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On July 25th, alternative rock band Assertion will release their new album Basking In The Gaslight through Spartan Records, Comprised of drummer William Goldsmith (Sunny Day Real Estate, Foo Fighters) and vocalist/guitarist Justin Tamminga, the duo shared dynamic single “Lock and Load” earlier this month and now give us the sprawling "Please Wake Up.” Clocking in at five minutes, the song blends captivating rhythms and choruses with existential lyrics that create an enthralling contrast.

Assertion is a band forged in resilience, built on chemistry, and sustained by the will to keep moving forward, even when everything seems to fall apart. The band introduced themselves with Intermission in 2021, a record marked by raw immediacy and the renewed sense of purpose that came from returning to music not out of obligation, but out of necessity. On follow-up, Basking in the Gaslight the band unleash a raw and deeply personal document of survival, resilience, and emotional reckoning. Assertion wrote and recorded the album through years of upheaval, including a traumatic brain injury, personal trauma, and the isolating weight of lockdown. The result channels pain into catharsis without ever feeling defeated. It’s heavy in both sound and subject matter, driven by unfiltered expression rather than concept, and shaped by a restless desire to heal, reconnect, and grow.

The music itself balances loud and melodic, sometimes chaotic, always full. The lyrics and artwork carry a heavy weight, but pockets of joy emerged throughout the recording process. Both Tamminga and Goldsmith’s children contributed to the record, adding percussion, strings, and vocals.

With Basking in the Gaslight, Assertion hasn’t just made a powerful record, they’ve made something that bears witness to endurance - truth, scars and all.