Assertion's sophomore full-length album Basking in the Gaslight is a raw and deeply personal document of survival, resilience, and emotional reckoning. Formed in the Pacific Northwest by drummer/vocalist William Goldsmith (Sunny Day Real Estate, The Fire Theft, Foo Fighters) and vocalist/guitarist Justin Tamminga, the band 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.