When ANCIIENTS learned they’d won the 2018 JUNO for Metal/Hard Rock, the hard-hitting Canucks had just woken up in Vienna with eyes still caked in sludge after another blazing show on their headlining tour of Europe. The road to their new album has been longer and harder than anyone could’ve expected. But after six years of soul searching in the Canadian wilderness, at long last, the band have returned to the summit of progressive metal with the heavy, heady and heartfelt Beyond the Reach of the Sun.
“A release that lives up to the hype and exceeds expectations” Blabbermouth continues. “Anciients have come back in a big way”.
Beyond the Reach of the Sun comes out tomorrow, Friday, August 30th, but you can hear all 10 mind-opening songs today by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.
➤ Listen to Beyond the Reach of the Sun: https://youtu.be/fD-6tz9c2fg
➤ Pre-order & Pre-save: https://orcd.co/anciientsbeyondthereachofthesun
Ask any hard rock enthusiast about Anciients and their shock and awe might lead you to believe they were describing Big Foot. The band left a sizable imprint on the metal scene after just two albums, but then seemingly disappeared without a trace. So what led them to go into hibernation?
“Basically, right after Voice of the Void was recorded my wife had our first kid”, says Kenny Cook, who on top of vocal and guitar duties handles the bulk of the songwriting. “She ended up having heart complications and almost died”. Everyone is happy and healthy now, but caring for his wife and new baby put a lot of stress on the typically laid-back front man’s mountainous shoulders. “It was a bit of a road”.
Beyond the Reach of the Sun also emerges from the shadows. The album follows the story of a society that’s enslaved by evil forces from an alternate dimension. “A distant memory of hope“, Cook sings on its epic, eight-minute opener. His cleans gently sail amidst cosmic synth smears, only to dig deep into the pit of his death growl as “Forbidden Sanctuary” meets a fiery end of blast beats and face-melting chugs. “Die by the sword / Or be reborn“.
As if the fate of the universe wasn’t enough weight for one metalhead to carry, Cook’s headspace became clouded by doubt while trying to carry the bulk of the songwriting and lyric duties in relative isolation after he and his family left Vancouver for small-town Columbia-Shuswap. “Cloak of the Vast and Black” is about mental illness and living under the veil of depression. “These tired eyes won’t rest / Must find a path to escape”. The opening guitars are so dimmed with reverb that even the leads twist and turn as if trying to navigate maze-like cave tunnels.
But like the high beams of a monster truck, Anciients found a way to barrel out of the darkness, even when the band suddenly found themselves in need of a new bass player right as they were all set to hunker down at Rain City Recorders. Fortunately, Justin Hagberg from 3 Inches of Blood – whose keyboard explodes into a crescendo of heady colors on the otherwise crushing “Is It Your God” – introduced them to Bushwhackers sure-handed bassist Rory O’Brien.
“We got lucky and Rory saved our asses at the last minute”, Cook says. By the time “Cloak of the Vast and Black” slides off into the ether, O’Brien is locked into such a massive flow state with the steady thump of drummer Mike Hannay that Anciients sound like pre-historic giants who’ve returned to roam the earth.
One thing has always been crystal clear though about Anciients: these guys shred. On “Melt the Crown”, Cook and new axe man Brock MacInnes (Dead Quiet) fire up not one, not two, but three guitar solos. But Beyond the Reach of the Sun also led the band to discover fresh springs of inspiration. They concentrated on making these songs more dynamic while allowing them more room to breath. “This album has a lot more of our rock side”, Cook says. Each of the solos on “Melt the Crown” come with their own special flavor, guiding us through a field of filigreed folk, then a turn toward Allman Brothers blues before leaping into a psychedelic reverie that’s like opening the door into your mind’s eye.
In the end, Beyond the Reach of the Sun is a testament to Anciients’ perseverance “At its core, this album is all about overcoming adversity in order to seek enlightenment”, Cook says. By the time we reach the end of the tracklist, the shadowy galactic forces have been vanquished, though don’t expect a big kumbaya during the last song. After a bluesy guitar intro unravels like a cry in the dark, “In the Absence of Wisdom” concludes with flaming hammer-ons that are fanned higher and higher by thunderous toms. “We are now the demons”, Cook warns, “Following the footsteps / Of the ones we hate”. He sounds heavier than ever, but it’s a prophecy from a band that’s lived to tell the tale.
“The hiatus is over” Anciients says. “We’re ready to hit it hard”.
More Praise for Beyond the Reach of the Sun
“It’s a welcome return from a band still at the top of their game” – Exclaim!
“A pure hit, a solid 10/10 and will no doubt be summiting many people’s album of the year lists” – Everything is Noise
“Imagine the strongest moments of Voice Of The Void (“Ibex Eye”) and Heart Of Oak (“Raise the Sun”) and you’ll have an idea of what Beyond The Reach Of The Sun is like: nearly an hour of top-notch progressive metal” – Heavy Music HQ (Album of the Week)
“Every note seems calculated, and each track interconnected, but yet the album breathes, and deeply. This is indeed a new pinnacle of Progressive Metal, and the band carries that flag high” – Metal Temple (10/10)
“Anciients are probably the most talented prog band out there” – Metal Bite (10/10)
