Anciients "Beyond the Reach of the Sun"

Country: Canada
Genre(s): Progressive Metal
Label: Season Of Mist
Format: CD, digital, vinyl
Release date:  August 30, 2024
Tracklist

1. Forbidden Sanctuary (8:16)

2. Despoiled (5:19)

3. Is It Your God (7:07)

4. Melt the Crown (7:08)

5. Cloak of the Vast and Black (6:20)

6. Celestial Tyrant (5:52)

7. Beyond Our Minds (4:12)

8. The Torch (4:13)

9. Candescence (4:10)

10. In the Absence of Wisom (6:35)

Credits

Kenny Cook - Guitar, Vocals

Brock MacInnes - Guitar

Rory O'Brien - Bass

Mike Hannay - Drums

   With

Justin Hagberg - Keyboards (1, 3, 4, 9, 10)

Jesse Gander - Synth (5, 9)

Recorded at Rain City Recorders

Produced, engineered and mixed by Jesse Gander, assisted by Szymon Wojciech

Mastered by Stu McKillop @ Rain City Mastering

Cover artwork by Adam Burke @ Nightjar Illustrations

Description/Reviews:

Beyond the Reach of the Sun ... was more streamlined and slithery, more chest-thumpingly direct, more epic and triumphant sounding. Riffs come in explosive layered packets. Leads, harmonies and melodies are more on par with wind-tussled mountain tops instead of sweaty bar shows and the band moves with finely honed, martial accuracy as conducted by Hannay’s rocket-in-the-pocket staccato swing and accents.  

Songs like “The Torch” blaze with the shirtless glisten of ‘70s stadium rock power. “Cloak of the Vast and Black” swirls and whirls with a combination of hardcore intensity, grunge groove and expansive six-string parries. “In the Absence of Wisdom” is a hurricane-sized maelstrom of classic and prog rock elevated to grandiosity by a return to their growling sludge/death early years as the song/album concludes. The album’s first single, “Melt the Crown” mixes cues from legendary fellow hosers Rush and Harlequin, turn-of-the-millennium post-metal and the most psychedelic corners of the Rise Above Records roster. 

Album opener “Forbidden Sanctuary” is the soundtrack to exploration, of new worlds and sonic arrangement as sine-wave guitars pull from vintage Mercyful Fate covens and Krautrock communes with synths opening up novel textural avenues, as they do on the ethereal wispiness and space rock/sci-fi soundscapes of the instrumental “Candescence.”

Media/Samples
Bandcamp

Links:
Web page
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Anciients "Voice Of The Void"

Country: Canada
Genre(s): Tech/Extreme Progressive Metal
Label: Season Of Mist
Format: CD, vinyl, cassette, digital
Release date: October 14, 2016
Tracklist: 
1. Following the Voice
2. Buried in Sand
3. Worshipper
4. Pentacle
5. Descending
6. Ibex Eye
7. My Home, My Gallows
8. Serpents
9. Incantations

Line-up: 
Chris Dyck - vocals, guitars
Kenneth Paul Cook - vocals, guitars
Aaron "Boon" Gustafson - bass
Mike Hannay - drums

Description/Reviews: 

ANCIIENTS return with their long-awaited sophomore album 'Voice of the Void'. A heavier and harder-hitting album than their debut, 'Voice of the Void' raises their game with mind-melting, frenetic guitar work and a more explosive percussive attack. Tracks such "Serpents", "Pentacle", "Incantations", and more are prismatic; bursting with heavy riffs in every shade and color without sacrificing the quartets heavy rock roots. ANCIIENTS are the archetype of a modern, progressive heavy band and 'Voice of the Void' is a dynamic listen carrying the spirit of metal's forerunnners.

Media/Samples 
Following the Voice
Bandcamp

Links:
Web page
Facebook
Progarchives

Anciients "Heart Of Oak"

Country: Canada
Sub Genre: Tech/Extreme Progressive Metal
Label: Season Of Mist
Release date: April 16, 2013
Tracklist: 
1. Raise the Sun (6:33)
2. Overthrone (6:38)
3. Falling in Line (8:20)
4. The Longest River (9:35)
5. One Foot in the Light (1:07)
6. Giants (7:47)
7. Faith and Oath (6:07)
8. Blood and Fire (7:32)
9. For Lisa (7:30)

Line-up: 
Chris Dyck - vocals, guitars
Kenneth Paul Cook - vocals, guitars
Aaron "Boon" Gustafson - bass
Mike Hannay - drums

Description/Reviews: 

The band's sound overlaps between stoner metal, progressive metal, and a few extreme metal elements as well, but all come together on this debut to create one truly tasty pie.
Although the band's page on here lists them as progressive metal, the core of Anciients' sound really lies more in the stoner metal category: a bluesy, riff-heavy guitar tone that carves many nice grooves all throughout the album ("Raise The Sun," The Longest River," and the warm bass on "Falling In Line"). Progressive and extreme metal elements are indeed present as well, but seem to be there more so to enhance the heart of the stoner sound, not so much to dominate it. The band's progressive edge comes across mostly in front man Kenny Cook, whose vocals honestly sound like something from post-Blood Mountain era Mastodon, as well as the occasionally more atmospheric and melodic side of the band's music (the beginning of "Flood And Fire," and especially on the closing instrumental track "For Lisa").

Read the full review at metalstorm.net

Media/Samples 
Bandcamp

Links:
Web page
Facebook
ProgArchives