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Reviews
Here everyone can submit own reviews of both Ancient's albums and other bands' music by Ancient members.
To get your review here, just send it to me via e-mail �> [email protected]
Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends (by Tindra 27.4.05)
A successful mixture of Black and Gothic Metal. With their 3rd full-length Ancient created an album that is basicly quite grim, but also beautiful. It has a lot of variety, for example slow, dark atmospheric parts, some fast parts, on "A Mad Blood Scenario" and "Vampirize Natasha", yet mostly staying in mid tempo stuff. And of course, to have something unexpectable, the instrumental track called "5" has voodoo style drumming. The 4th track, "Um Sonho Psycodelico", is definitely the hit of this album, being amazing catchy, I can honestly say I think it's one of the best songs I've ever heard. The next track, "Sleeping Princess of the Arges" was originally on Kaiaphas' former band's Grand Belial's Key's demo Triumph Of The Hordes (1994). Now here Jesus Christ! has composed new music for it, darker and better suitable for its lyrics. Speaking of the lyrics of Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends, I see it as a very positive thing they're not the "standard Black Metal lyrics". The vampire themes and also some romantic lyrics fit very well on this type of music.
What definitely is worth mentioning about this album is Kaiaphas' vocals, they're just something amazing ! Most of his vocals are sharp screaming, but there's also some lower grunts and beautiful clean vocals. He definitely has the most unique voice of the whole Black Metal scene ever.
The album offers also a little bit of humour, it ends with a Mercyful Fate cover "Black Funeral" (originally on Mercyful Fate's debut album Melissa). On the first time I heard the cover I was kinda amused by the high vocals. But later I realized that this song is really neat, the high and low vocals make a good contrast. Also "oh yeah !" yell in the middle of the 8th track "The Emerald Tablet" is a bit funny, but not in a bad way at all, it just gives this album some more catchiness. Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends might feel a bit confusing album at first, with its all variety, but even if you feel so, just don't give up, keep listening to it and you'll find a masterpiece.
Det Glemte Riket (compilation) (by Tindra 4.6.05)
This is a good way to get to know Ancient's old material, it begins with the first tracks of the ledendary Trolltaat MLP. Both of the two first of these tracks, "Trolltaar" and "Nattens Skjonnhet" (The Beauty of the Night), capture an amazing atmosphere that is not being heard anywhere else or by anyone else. Especially Nattens Skjonnhet is also a Black Metal song one can call beautiful. "Eerily Howling Winds" is slighty aggressive and less atmospheric compared to these first two.
The next two tracks, "Det Glemte Riket" (The Forgotten Realm) and "Huldra Dans" (Fairy Dance), are from Ancient's only 7'', Det Glemte Riket. All the six first tracks are in general quite the same style, but definitely not meaning they'd sound like each other. They're from different releases originally, but would fit on the same full-length.
"P� Evig Vandring" (On the Eternal Wandering) is previously unreleased, there is yet another, newer version of this song on Svartalvheim, but in my opinion this older one is a lot better, and also definitely one of the best songs by Ancient. It's so amazing catchy that it's really difficult to even do anything else while listening to it. Also the drumming on it is worth mentioning being very original and neat sounding. The 7th track, "Fjellets Hemmelighet" (The Secret of the Mountain) is the "outro" of Trolltaar, it's a bit odd that it's not placed after the other Trolltaar tracks, but on the other hand it sounds very suitable following P� Evig Vandring. The title describes very well the atmosphere of this track, it's somehow magical, mystical and nearly sad. It's almost an instrumental, just having some whispers and female vocals besides the very "piano sounding" keyboards. The next one, "Algol" (prev.unrel.), is purely just keyboards, is very suitable music when you're looking out of the window, it's raining a lot and it's dark and windy. (like it was when I was writing this review) All in all, Algol is calming and works as an "intermission" before the last track of this album, the Black Sabbath cover "Sweet Leaf" (prev.unrel.) It's the only a bit newer track on Det Glemte Riket, so it has Kaiaphas on vocals and drums instead of Grimm. At first it sounded too rock song for me, but later I discovered a new side of it and began to like it a lot, it's very catchy, especially when Kaiaphas screams "oh yeah baby" in Black Metal style, which is slighty amusing, but not a bad thing.
As a summary, it's really great that this compilation has been released, since it contains first of all, excellent music, and since there's material that was never released before and was definitely worth being released, and as Trolltaar and Det Glemte Riket 7'' are rarities, it's good that those tracks can be gained via this release. So, if you don't have this yet, go and get yourself some finest Norwegian Black Metal !
Crimson Moon: To Embrace the Vampyric Blood (by Tindra 20.8.06)
Wolf howling, eerie whispers � That�s how the the debut full-length of Crimson Moon begins. The masterminds behind this band are Vampir Scorpios (bass in Ancient �98 -�99) and Nocturnal Overlord (Took part in composing thr song �The Battle of the Ancient Warriors� on The Halls of Eternity.)
The music Crimson Moon plays, could be described as cold, very dark, atmospheric and mystical. Their style is really original indeed. The only comparison I can think of this would be Limbonic Art�s �Moon in the Scorpio�, but this yet clearly has its totally own realm. The synths have a major role in CM�s music, but they use them the way it helps to create and deepen the magical, eerie feeling of their music. They have a drum machine here, but it doesn�t bother at least me at all. Also, Aphazel is doing a guest appearance (on guitar) on the last �real� track, �The Eye of the Draconis�. It�s, compared to the other songs of the album, not so grim and mystical, so it�s good that it�s the last one, therefore not �messing up the pack�. As the others are so clearly matching to each other.
The best tracks in my opinion are Kingdom of Shadows, Carpe Noctem, The Stormbringer and To Offer Thy Crimson Sacrament. I give my high recommendations to this album, it�s worth the possible trouble you�ll have to face to gain it, as it�s kinda a-hard-to-get-item. There are samples at the official Crimson Moon site, check them out!!!
This is a masterpiece.