Dreamy and epic
It can be hard to quantify why you connect with some pieces of music more than others, why something moves you to a quivering wreck while it leaves someone else cold. This is not the case with Ancients debut five track album though - straight away, the delicate and soothing yet huge and soaring tracks coupled with Mehdi Safa's beautiful vocal delivery send your skin into shiver overdrive and pinpoint exactly why this is a keeper.
As we pointed out in our gushing review of Ancients single Constellations back last September - the group was formed by ex-core members of underground metal mob Rinoa with the addition of *shels front man Mehdi Safa on vocal duties and Daniel Hoang (Crydebris) on drums. That single is one of the highlights of this record - a dreamy, echo filled epic with a charming melody and distorted guitars which hits you with huge riffs when it gets going. This tune still gives us excited little quivers every time we hear it - especially when Safa's vocals blast in to lift you up with their warm tones bringing a rush of emotion to the track.
Along with Constellations the opener Satellites pulls you in with the delicate little crackles of what sounds like a vinyl record left to spin at the end of its cycle, needle brushing the paper circle over and over, before the track kicks off with the intense guitars throwing a blanket of comfortable distortion over you, and Mehdi's vocal Ahh's helping you drift away.
The rushing intensity of this record rends an almost visceral response from you when you listen; those shivers bring goose bumps and the emotional connection means that you want to come back to listen again as soon as it reaches the end. The lovely and epic Cassiopeia closes things out with a sweet melody and richly layered backing, confirming this as one of those records best listened to in one sitting, preferably in a comfy chair with a glass of red wine in one hand.