ANCIENT - NORWAY

Svartalavheim - 1994 - Listenable
The Cainian Chronicles - 1996 - Metal Blade
Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends - 1997 - Metal Blade
The Halls Of Eternity - 1999 - Metal Blade
Proxima Centuari - 2001 - Metal Blade
Night Visit - 2004 - Metal Blade
Back To The Land Of The Dead – 2016 - Soulseller

Ancient image
  
 
Members
Vocals
Dirge>>Grimm/Thorg [Henrik Endresen]>>Putrefaction - Putrefaction, Dirge, Dreamlike Horror>>Aphazel [Magnus Garvik]>>Dreamlike Horror - Grand Belial's Key, Thokk>>Lord Kaiapas/Vlad [Valerio Kosta]>>Grand Belial's Key, Thokkian Vortex, Le Chant Noir - Avernus, Therion>>Kimberly Goss>>Therion, Sinergy - Dreamlike Horror, Byaxis>>Deadly Kristin [Cristina Parascandolo/Hayam Nur]>>Dreamlike Horror, Byaxis - Putrefaction, Dirge, Dreamlike Horror>>APHAZEL [MAGNUS GARVIK]

Guitar
Putrefaction, Dirge, Dreamlike Horror >>APHAZEL [MAGNUS GARVIK]>>Dreamlike Horror – Infliction, All Amort, Grind Zero>>DHILORZ [Danilo Di Lorenzo]>>All Amort, Grind Zero

Bass
Putrefaction, Dirge, Dreamlike Horror >>Aphazel [Magnus Garvik]>>Dreamlike Horror – Unreal, All Amort>>DHILORZ [Danilo Di Lorenzo]>>Infliction, All Amort

Drum
Dirge>>Grimm/Thorg [Henrik Endresen]>>Putrefaction - Kjetil - Grand Belial's Key, Thokk>>Lord Kaiapas/Vlad [Valerio Kosta]>>Grand Belial's Key, Thokkian Vortex, Minimal Criminal, Xaphan's Bellow - Hortus Animae, Doomsword, Hate Profile>>Grom [Diego Meraviglia]>>Opposite Sides, Hortus Animae, Doomsword, Testing Tomorrow – Anathema, Cancer, Cerebral Fix, Exodus, Gorgoroth, Nuclear Assault, Testament, Nightrage, Catalepsy, Atrocity, Borknagar, Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth, Brujeria, Amon, Liquid Graveyard, Lock Up, Twilight Of The Gods, Possessed>>Nicolas Barker>>Brujeria, Amon, Liquid Graveyard, Lock Up, Twilight Of The Gods, Possessed

Keyboard
Fullmoon Sideshow >>Jesus Christ! [David Sciumbata]>>Fullmoon Sideshow, Horroble - APHAZEL [MAGNUS GARVIK]




History & Biography
Ancient was formed in 1992 as a solo project of Aphazel and immediately gained many converts who claimed the band is of the Enslaved and Emperor calibre.

Following the mandatory line-up changes, an unreleased rehearsal tape, featuring the tracks Det Glemte Riket and Trumps Of An Arch Angel, a demo entitled Eerily Howling Winds, sale of 700 copies and a 7"EP, the band signed to Listenable Records and finished recording its debut in 1994.

Late to the black metal resurgence, Metal Blade nevertheless found an available band in Ancient and signed the Norwegians in 1995. Moving to the USA in that year, Aphazel met and recruited Kimberly Goss (of the band Avernus and editor of a fanzine with questions regarding negroes and anal sex) and Lord Kaiaphas of Grand Belial's Key. Goss had been on stage with Avernus when Ancient, which was also on the bill, had spotted her. Only a couple of years later Aphazel, tired of the USA, returned permanently to Europe.

The band appeared on Metal Massacre XII and released its debut for its new label in 1996. North American live activity had been curtailed because Aphazel had a US criminal record barring him from entry into that country. The act toured Europe using the Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends monicker. Female singer Erichte was replaced by Deadly Kristin in 1998. Lord Kaiaphas was out in 1999. The female singer was American and the singer/drummer Brazilian. Aphazel had the band back in Norway now. Besides, Aphazel called Kaiaphas "too lazy." With his departure the vampire-related lyrics and imagery was also gone. Before the recording of The Halls Of Eternity the band had a gig in Athens, Greece following which its van was broken into and guitar, passport and other items were stolen.

Members of Ancient guested in the album of crossover band Cataract and Grom drummed for Italian band Hortus Animae in 2003. Deadly Kristin left the Seattle band Byaxis in May of 2003. As of early 2005 the band was looking for a new home while the members worked on various side-projects. A disc called Eerily Howling Winds - The Antediluvian Tapes was issued by Sleaszy Rider Records featuring old demo material. The main man became Zel and was a Christian now, which was markedly different from the anti-Christian Ancient. Deadly Kristin became a Muslim and changed her name to Hayam Nur. Ancient was working on a new album in 2014, Chapter VII: Back From The Land Of The Dead, for a tentative autumn release. The band (Zel - vocals, guitars and keyboards, Dhilorz – guitar and bass and drummer Nick Barker) was looking for a label. Ancient signed with Soulseller Records in 2016. The band’s new full-length album Back To The Land Of The Dead was released in mid-September on CD, double LP and other versions. The EMP Label Group would release the album in the USA and Canada. Grimm made a live appearance with Ancient in 2022. The band was booked to perform at Montreal, Canada's Messe De Morts XII in 2024.

The band transformed over the years and became more of a theatrical goth band than a black metal entity. Deadly Kristin and Aphazel, who were dating, also had a goth side-project called Dreamlike Horror.


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