Artist: Ancient
Label: Metal Blade Records
Release Date: 7/13/04
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Title: Night Visit Artist: Ancient Label: Metal Blade Records Release Date: 7/13/04 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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3 | ||
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3 | ||
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Abyss's Review:
I've always thought of Ancient as a solid middle-tier black metal outfit that was never the most compelling act out there, but which also received a lot of undue criticism. The album that most caught my attention was The Cainian Chronicles, which I remember as an enjoyable piece that satiated my cravings for straight-forward Norwegian black metal. Of course, in preparation for this review, I wanted to revisit that album, and couldn't find it. I guess that has to tell you something; as much as I defend this band, I obviously don't listen to them all that much.
"One word review: Decent." With that in mind, I feel the same way about Night Visit. It is refreshing to hear a band sticking to the old-school black metal sound while simultaneously incorporating catchy songwriting and an excellent use of atmosphere. All of the clichés are still here - the gothic female vocals, the spooky keyboards, and the tremolo-picked anti-riffs - but the end result is that this is just a band that is playing to their strengths, regardless of trend. The album is produced very well, but unlike bands like Cradle and Dimmu, the end result sounds like the antithesis of corporate. And while the purists will still hate them and the goth kids won't get them, the serious metalhead can find a great deal to hold onto here.
With that praise in mind, I can't wholeheartedly recommend this album because I honestly don't feel it will be an album that I'll still be listening to in the months to come. A solid album this is, but I would be hard-pressed to disagree if anyone were to label it as somewhat generic. So, the end result is my opinion of Ancient hasn't been swayed. I'll still defend them, but I probably won't listen to them all that much either. One word review: Decent.
Death's Review:
It has been two and a half years since the release of the last album from Ancient, 2001’s Proxima Centauri. Has the Ancient fan base gone away? Blabbermouth.net reported today that, according to Sound Scan, Night Visit sold a whopping 134 copies in its first week of release. Trust me, while this isn’t the best album out there or anything, it deserves more support than that. I like Night Visit a lot, up to a point – the band is currently mining similar territory to modern Satyricon and the like (although I like Satyricon better). The album was recorded at Andy La Rocque’s studio and mastered at Sterling Sound, and it plays well through good speakers despite its purposeful underground aesthetic. Vocalist (and guitarist) Aphazel does a pretty good job, and his shrill yet resonant blackened screams are clearly the highlight. I also like the band’s raw, classic metal sound to the riffing, and the dry, forceful mix. There are a few great headbanging moments along the way, although things slow down toward the end with some extended “atmospheric” moments which pretty much bog things down as those types of tracks often do. Still, these Norwegian veterans have managed to conjure up some catchy and memorable moments, and there is a lot to like on Night Visit if you are a fan. But if you are, go out and buy the record now. Get some sales going and get the band to tour the U.S. If you aren’t into this sort of thing though, this isn’t necessary.
"These Norwegian veterans have managed to conjure up some catchy and memorable moments, and there is a lot to like on Night Visit if you are a fan."
Hel's Review:
You know, one of the beautiful things about metal is that there are so many bands, doing so many interesting things, you can be a very avid fan and there will still be bands that you have heard of but have not gotten around to checking out. Ancient is one of these bands for me. I suppose the reason I never sought them out is that I'm not the biggest of black metal fans, but whatever the reason, here I am with Night Visit, their newest effort.
"Even though Ancient is generally not my thing, I did enjoy my time with them." The music currently coming from my speakers is exactly what always comes to mind when I think of typical black metal. The production is raw, the vocals are all delivered in that distinctive black metal style, there are abundant blast beats, and the keyboard and guitar sounds are those that I always liken to the genre. The lyrics, however, are what keep drawing my attention - they are darn funny. "Horroble" (and, yes, that is how it is spelled on the track listing) leaves me in stitches every single time.
Despite its flaws, poor grammar and production among them, I have to admit this album did grow on me as I listened to it. Were I a black metal enthusiast, or a fan of the band going way back (which probably would make me an enthusiast as well...), I could give those of you eagerly awaiting the release of this record a better idea of what it holds for you. Alas, I cannot, but I do think that fans of the genre will find a great deal to like about this album. Even though Ancient is generally not my thing, I did enjoy my time with them.
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