This is not true. You get the exotic version of your new elite spec weapon as soon as you spent the first points in it, and the ascended version of it when you finish the collection.
This worked for me on the second try.
Meaning: Turn game mode off, start the game (it will freeze again), Ctrl+Shift+Esc, use keyboard to close game from task manager, open the game again. Sucess! (at least for me)
Same issue. The music starts and then everything becomes unresponsive.
I know fixing an issue like this can take time, but could we at least get any sort of statement from the devs?