BAND NAME: Ancient
GENRE: Melodic Black Metal with Gothic Influences
STATUS: Active
LOCATION: Norway (early), USA (mid), Italy/Greece (now)
Added here based solely on Zel's conversion, and on the lyrics to "Back to the Land of the Dead". Zel is the only Christian in all of the band's history. Ancient are totally separate from the scene this site is based on.
Formed in January 1992. The band was believed to have split up after a long period of inactivity starting in 2005, but [they never officially did]. Activity just slowed down a lot as things came up in the members' personal lives. They have mentioned that along the way, morale grew low during that time, but they decided to try playing some shows around 2010, and found renewed passion for music. They decided to fully resume activity, and that's about when work on "Back ..." started.
Zel became a Christian in September 2009. Before his conversion, he went by the name "Aphazel".
Lineup:
Zel - Vocals, Guitars, Keys (+Bass and Drum Programming, early)
Dhilorz - Guitars, Bass, Vocals (backing)
Nicholas Barker - Drums
Past members:
Deadly Kristin - Vocals (female)
Erichte - Vocals (female)
Lord Kaiaphas - Vocals (+Percussion, early)
Kimberly Goss - Vocals (female), Keyboards
Grimm - Vocals, Drums
Luci - Vocals (backing), Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Piano, Cello
GroM - Vocals (backing), Percussion
Morfeus - Guitars
Vassago Rex - Drums
Kjetil - Drums
Krigse - Drums
Links:
Facebook
Instagram
Bandcamp
VKontakte
Twitter
YouTube
SoundCloud
Deezer
Apple Music
Spotify
Amazon
Announcement including Zel's conversion
Interview from 2016 (chamberoflostsounds)
Interview from 2016 (wonderboxmetal)
Myspace
Myspace @ archive.org
Official site @ archive.org (ancientband.net)
Discography:
Non-Christian material:
- Eerily Howling Winds, demo, 1993
- Det glemte riket, single, 1994
- Svartalvheim, album, 1994
- Trolltaar, EP, 1995
- The Cainian Chronicle, album, 1996
- Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends, album, 1997
- Det glemte riket, comp, 1999
- The Halls of Eternity, album, 1999
- True Kings of Norway, split, 2000
- God Loves the Dead, EP, 2001
- Proxima Centauri, album, 2001
- Night Visit, album, 2004
- Eerily Howling Winds - The Antediluvian Tapes, comp, 2005
- Eerily Howling Winds, comp, 2022
+ way too many samplers / VA compilations to mention
Back to the Land of the Dead (PRIVATE RELEASE, 8 December, 2015)
Format: CD (or CD-R?)
The master copy from the studio that mastered the album (Finnvox Studios / Finnvox Studiot Oy). The band posted a photo of it on 2 January, 2016.
Same tracklist as on the album version. A few tracks are a few seconds longer, but presumably, this is just silence added to the end of the tracks or something. (Some software even does this automatically.) See the final album for more info on these songs!
Land of the Dead (single, 24 June, 2016, Independent)
Format: Digital / Bandcamp
Stream / Download (OFFICIAL)
1) Land of the Dead 4:06, see below for lyrics
Death Will Die (single, 8 September, 2016, Independent)
Format: Digital / Bandcamp
Stream / Download (OFFICIAL)
1) Death Will Die 5:35, see below for lyrics
EMP DIGIPAK
Back to the Land of the Dead (album)
Top artwork:
16 September, 2016, Soulseller Records, CD (jewel case)
16 September, 2016, Soulseller, CD (digipak), limited (???) copies
30 March, 2018, Soulseller Records, Bandcamp
Bottom artwork:
16 Sept, 2016, Soulseller, 2x Vinyl (12'', 33⅓ RPM), black, 250 copies
16 Sept, 2016, Soulseller, 2x Vinyl (12'', 33⅓ RPM), gray, (???) copies
30 September, 2016, EMP, CD (digipak)
Guest appearances:
Leìt - Vocals (female, track 3)
Martyr Lucifer - Vocals (track 12)
Ivan Mc Simon - Guitars (acoustic, additional)
About the album, Zel has said the following in interviews:
"The lyrics in [the first track] speaks about a person
who has been away from the place he was born, for many years, and when
he returns he sees that the people there have become somewhat 'spiritually dead' and he needs to 'wake them up' from their 'death'
before it becomes a physical death, like the lyrics repeats 'my journey
is over, it’s time to come back'. "
"The album title 'Back to the Land of the Dead', will maybe confuse some people, thinking we’re saying something like 'we are back FROM the dead' (the band makes a 'comeback'), but it’s different. On the cover you see a hooded figure coming out from some kind of passage or gateway, and below there are hundreds of zombie like creatures, these are the 'dead' people, but they’re not exactly zombies, like those in the zombie movies, you could call them 'spiritual zombies' maybe, and with this I mean a very great part of people in our society today, who are somewhat 'spiritually dead', they way they live and what they occupy their minds with etc, (luckily I see that in the metal scene, most of us do not belong in this category, most metal fans are different than the rest of society, we have a different mindset and many of us are rebellious or/and have somewhat different ways to view life and what is really important here, I do believe that metal music is healthy for our brains in many ways), of course I see it as a relative thing, who are the 'dead' people and who is 'somewhere in between'. It’s not about discriminating anyone, but it’s speaking about something that is happening to a lot of us and our minds, with the 'modern lifestyle' so many of us are following now, our mindset etc, the track The Sempiternal Haze is speaking more about this, describing a 'spiritual haze', which is somewhat shows in the people you see at the front cover."
"Yeah basically the concept of the title track is about a guy who has been away many years from the place or 'society” he was born in. He is saying (in the lyrics) 'my journey’s over, it’s time to come back'. As he returns he realizes that the place where he was born is now full of 'spiritually dead' people, like 'spiritual zombies' or so, and that’s what you see on the front cover. This is a lot the way I see our return to the scene. The society we live in today (everywhere in the world basically) is full of 'spiritually dead' people, though most of the metal fans luckily don’t belong in this category so much. This is a bigger concept I intend to elaborate on more later on, perhaps with the next album."
Ideas for this album go as far back as 2011. There are also "slower" songs that didn't make it onto the album. Zel plans to use these songs for something else later on.
While properly released on the 16th, the album was [available to stream] starting on the 13th.
1) Land of the Dead
4:07, lyrics:
The lord of this world is laughing, but how long?
My pain has been so strong
Just because I once was wrong!
My journey's over, it's time to come back!
Born in the land of the dead!
I was born in the land of the dead
The pain from a ghastly terraine hurt
My spirit was slain with fierce
Like a suicidal mission
In dark grounds, as my soul was torn!
My journey's over, it's time to come back!
Born in the land of the dead!
I was born in the land of the dead
Born in the land of the dead!
I was born in the land of the dead
Then where will you go?
Where will you go?!
Evade the lands where the winds of hades blow!
You may go blind in the freezing snow!
Born in the land of the dead!
I was born in the land of the dead
Land of the dead
2) Beyond the Blood Moon
3:42, lyrics:
Chaos, fear, turmoil, despair
Millions dazed, trapped in the snare
The ancient vexer spinning its web
A degenerate spider in an infinite lab!
What lies beyond the blood moon?
Will the end occur too soon?
What lies beneath the bloody tribute?
The ancient vexer devoured our roots!
Trembling sagacity, what is to come?
Dread of a fireball's strike from beyond
Shivering grounds in a growing rage
Prepare to face the final stage!
"Tales of the ancients"
Ridiculed and scorned!
Antediluvian spirits fight
To propagate the stygian night!
Like a helix spinning free
Moving on continuously
A serpent is coming quietly
'til it swallows society
Forever spinning humanity, eliminating sobriety
Who will find the little vent, to be set free?!
3) The Sempiternal Haze
4:25, lyrics:
Haze! A sempiternal haze
Befogs and betrays
Lies! The sempiternal lies
Blinding venom in pernicious disguise
Flee out of the haze!
See the hellion ablaze!
Flee out of the haze!
Burn! The sempiternal haze!
Insidious servants, agenda in place
Shred! You can see the figures shred
Crush them to cinders, no remnants to spread
Flee out of the haze!
See the hellion ablaze!
Flee out of the haze!
See the hellion's disgrace
Deep in the ceaseless mist
A deathlike silence lives
Through aeons of time it ameliorates
The sempiternal haze!
Burn! The sempiternal haze!
Drifting along its infinite chase
Life in the haze benumbs cerebration
Facing the serpent, you face termination!
Flee out of the haze!
See the hellion ablaze!
Flee out of the haze!
See the hellion's disgrace
Out of the haze!
4) The Empyrean Sword
5:48, lyrics:
When will the veil be lifted?
When will the haze be cleared?
When will the spiral be fractured and veered?
When will the vexer surface?
What's in its endless furnace?
When will the disarray be eternally impaired?
Grasp the empyrean sword!
The slay the hordes
Grasp the ethereal sword!
Sleep, how long will you sleep?
You know, the abyss is deep!
Lift up the sword!
Slay the poisonous hordes of deceit
Lift up the sword!
Time has come to clean out the filth
Flush out the incessant filth!
Before time runs out, grasp the empyrean sword!
When will the veil be lifted?
When will the haze be cleared?
When will the spiral be fractured and veered?
When will the vexer surface?
What's in its endless furnace?
When will the disarray be eternally impaired?
Grasp the empyrean sword!
Sleep, how long will you sleep?
You see, the abyss is deep!
Laughs, though you can not hear
The vexer laughs, while it fathoms your fear
A tree of pretence, growing inside
And causes rot!
Lift up the sword!
Slay the poisonous hordes of deceit
Lift up the sword!
Time has come to clean out the filth
Flush out the incessant filth!
5) The Ancient Disarray
5:45, lyrics:
A disarray invades your mind
Disquietude, but what's behind?
The ancient vexer fights to keep you blind!
Can't be denied, it's everywhere
Can't be perceived, but it's there
It drags your soul into perennial despair!
Cold disarray!
You live or you obey, the ancient disarray!
Cold disarray!
A sickening display, the ancient disarray!
Like a quicksand it pulls you in
A wicked mud that you're drowning in
While sinking endlessly, discern the wicked grin
Putrefaction will be revealed
No longer will it be concealed
When we'll see the end, our final fate is sealed
Cold disarray!
You live or you obey, the ancient disarray!
Cold disarray!
A sickening display, the ancient disarray!
The ultimate betrayal! The ancient disarray!
Ringing in your head
Voices from the dead
Ringing in your head
As your tears turns red
6) Occlude the Gates
5:22, lyrics:
How does the vexer work?
How does it warp your mind?
Can the spiral be fractured?
Can the accord be unsigned?
Occlude the gates!
Wipe out the poison within
Occlude the gates
Your hallways are such an easy way in!
Can it be fought at all?
Can it be revealed to us all?
Once the serpents appear
The wounds may last for years and years, and years
Occlude the gates!
Wipe out the poison within
Occlude the gates
Your hallways are such an easy way in!
7) The Excruciating Journey, Part I: Defiance and Rage
5:20, lyrics:
Captured in a cage, a lion in spiteful rage
Misplaced and pried in a land of vapidness
Erase the rules! Discard the servitude
Expunge the filth! Invert the slavery
Erase the rules! Discard the drapery
Expunge the filth! Invert the impoundment
The crude zealot is ready to evacuate!
Erase the rules! Discard the servitude
Expunge the filth! Invert the slavery
Erase the rules! Discard the drapery
Expunge the filth! Invert the impoundment
A heart filled with disgust and hate!
Life has taken its toll
It's time to break lose
It's time to break... out!
Erase the rules! Discard the servitude
Expunge the filth! Invert the slavery
Erase the rules! Discard the drapery
Expunge the filth! Invert the impoundment
There was nothing left now that could hold him back
The forbidden fruits and pleasures
seemed just too sweet
And so, the venom is injected
The ancient foul gives the kiss of death...
8) The Excruciating Journey, Part II: The Prodigal Years
1:45, lyrics:
The years passed by, one by one
The venom was flowing free in his veins
Nothing could disturb the zealot
and his euphoric life
A slight sense of hazy wickedness was welt at times
However, it offered no disturbance
to his devious ways
The elated life was pleasing and serene
Thoughts or apprehension of a future
were far and away
Undisturbing to his joyful life and bliss
The venom had surely done its job
Any any trace of discernment was far gone...
9) The Excruciating Journey, Part III: The Awakening
4:50, lyrics:
Rot! Grime! Angst and blight!
The crepuscular horizon reveals a lurid penumbra!
Trapped inside a spiral of an endless consternation
Can't tell up from down or even feel a sturdy ground
Just a never-ending disarray, can't avoid going astray
Life a fly in a flushing toilet
Surely seems the end has come
At last, clarity arrives
The awakening comes as a freezing wind
Comprehension is washing out the murkiness
All along, the rules were not of slavery
Seeing the paths and trails now and where they lead
Both abyss and light, becomes so visible and clear
Seeing the wicked trap that led his life astray
A bitter wrath starts building up inside
Conceiving the immense and morbid putridness
The endless tunnel has a shimmering light in the end
But the way is long and excruciating
"That rotten filthy beast, such a foul deceiver!"
"I will despise and curse it, until the very end!"
"This one shall surely never see the light"
"What a childish and pathetic struggle"
"I can see its schemes and ensnaring powers"
"But the laughs will come to and end"
And so, the battles goes on...
After many years with blinding fiends
The light feels so sharp, a needle in the eye!
And the vexer fights in its endless crooked ways
With its traps and vast delusive haze
At last it seems the door has been shut
The endless tunnel the torment now has past
This purifying air revives the newborn one
The unfettered life, has just begun!
Free! Finally unchained!
Free! From the awful misery!
A magnificent rebirth and clarity has come!
Free from the slavery!
10) Death Will Die
5:34, lyrics:
Death! Your time has come
Ashes slowly you'll become
Wail! Too late to plead
Hear the ancient dragon speak
See your days are all revealed
Every stain is unconcealed
Out of lifeless dust appears
Tales that break you down to tears
From the land of death you leave
What's next you can't conceive
The ancient dragon laughs
Unveils its grisly wrath
Its sempiternal haze
Beguiled the human race
Its ancient disarray
A spiral of dismay
The spiral of decay!
Death may die
Death will die!
Transcendent realms arise
Death will die!
At last you meet your ancient foe
He gifts you now your bitter end
His ugly mask revealed at last
His great disguise, his great demise!
So the vexer dies, his reign is not supreme
See a greater one at last has won
Death is just the beginning of eternity!
Death may die, death will die!
Another realm, breaks forth
The light of the world takes command
Kills the haze with an instant fire
Death may die
Death will die!
11) The Spiral
6:21, lyrics:
In the spiral of the wicked one
Downwards in the madness they move on
Until the night is done they go on
In the spiral of the wicked one
In haziness they foolishly move on
But when the dawn will come
They'll be gone
In the spiral hope seems lost
Exculptation turns to frost
Rapidly encroaches minds
Viciously leaves them blind
In the spiral what do they find?
Ascendancy, it eats their minds
Deep in their blackened hearts
They're being torn apart!
When the spiral's energy embarks
It arrogates their thrones with a demon's mark
Just in then end they meet
The ancient rotten shark!
In the spiral of the wicked one
Amaranthine despair until it's done
Fed by perdition's spark
It's moving on
12) Petrified by Their End
9:36, lyrics:
It was such a fine and bloodless day
There were no more signs of the decay
The memories had faded from the awful disarray!
No more fear of the noxious fiends
Gone was ghostly war machines
Life was in its finest age
Gone was ostentatious rage
The clock was ticking, but nobody knew the time
Nobody saw the writing on the wall
Nobody could perceive the heinous wrath to come
Exultation and peace were high and low
Then the sky turned black!
A voice of infinite dimensions was heard
Through all the lands and dales it rang and blared
The omnipresent utterance just carried on and on
In black and white they all gently came
Without a trace of transgression or shame
So neat and devious, pertinent!
No room for discontent!
Agenda had been set
Deprive and seize the helpless rats
Beguile the feeble ones
And swipe their wretched homes!
So vicious and unjust
Forced the masses into dust
While crushing bones and limbs
Homage to nefarious kings
They surely did not know the time
For the judgement comes in time
Before they found their door
They found the scarlet whore!
It was the end and fall
Their backs against the wall
Nobody spoke at all
Nobody standing tall
Petrified by the end
Vilified in the end!
13) 13 Candles (Bathory cover) (bonus)
4:19, lyrics:
Now the night lays dark and cold
Upon a world at sleep
Across he world sweeps a crimson haze
Now the virgin's seal is broken
The fertility rite is complete
And the seed is sown in a holy place
Born a child of the underworld
The fire and flame
Born a child of the underworld
Desire and pain
Born a child of the underworld
Evil prevail
Born a child of the underworld...
Now the day is slowly fading
The 12th night is comed
Prepare soon the virgin shall give birth
To the son of Satan, Child of Hell
Spread the news across the universe
Satan's child is born tonight by womb untouched and pure
All Hell rejoice the birth of the Son
Laced in sin
Child of Hell
The spirit of lust and pain
Baptised in sacred angel blood
Now Evil can prevail
The fire and flame
Desire and pain
Evil prevail
Born a child of the underworld...
So light the 13 Candles
___________________________________
IncompletePage, CouldUseBetterImages, SimilarTo
INFO:
1) I can't find links to buy the gray vinyl variant, or the EMP version of
the CD. Also, the links I DO have, are "world" links.
There used to be specific links for USA distributors, but all the links
I can find seem to be dead already. 2) How many copies are the gray vinyl, and the digipak limited to? 3) Are the other versions, currently not marked "limited", limited as well? I couldn't find anything specific about this. 4) There are only three people in the band. Who is the fourth person in the photo?
IMAGES:
1) A better picture of the "bottom artwork" (variant with gray band logo and and white text). 2) Layout photos for the jewel case CD.
Miscellaneous stuff:
Left: The original art, from when the album was first announced. Almost identical to the final, but there are some slight differences.
Right: A promotional gif, taken from their old website.
Similar to: [SECULAR] Gehenna (Nor), Cradle of Filth, Old Man's Child, Opera IX, Hecate Enthroned, Mystic Circle, Immortal, Abigor, Kvist, Satyricon, Troll (Innlandet, Nor), [CHRISTIAN] Vardøger, Almagor (Chile), The Slave Eye, Symphony of Heaven, Renascent, Nightsbane, Tears of Blood, Marble Tomb, Frost like Ashes, Ivory Draco, Thy Sword, Demoniciduth
