Reviews

Anciients have a discography stretching back over a decade before Beyond The Reach Of The Sun, but it feels like this is the album where they really find what they want to be - and the results of that new-found identity make this opus sound effortless in execution. The opener, 'Forbidden Sanctuary', is a perfect introduction to what the listener will hear over the next hour. The beginning of the track builds a loose tension, like the feeling that storm is on the horizon - but when it finally breaks the guitars don't crash in as expected, but instead roll in with a slap rather than a punch. The vocals are delicate and thin and ethereal, until the death growls break the beauty, but rather than being used a device to make the song heavier they instead are a mechanism which breaks the surface tension at the most perfect moments. The are often sparse, and never outstay their welcome, something that could be said about the growls throughout the entire album. By 'Despoiled' it is obvious how the album will play out, with that same dynamic tension in the air that shifts as the music pulls in constantly shifting directions. Throw in the occasional blast beats that nail you to your chair and it feels like walking on wet sand as the waves pull the grains one by one from under your feet. The whole track is heavier throughout, and has an odd 80s metal feel to it, possibly due to the heavy effects on the guitar tone. It leaves the song somewhere between space rock and the modern metal. 'Is It Your God' ebbs and flows, but almost with something that could be described as a loose groove about it. The vibe is dark, but in an album full of contradictions, it feels oddly uplifting. 'Melt The Crown' continues with this groove, but this time with some big Godzilla sized monster stomps. It is sprinkled with softer acoustic moments reminiscent of the masters of the style, Opeth. By 'Cloak Of The Vast And Black' it seems the album has revealed all its secrets, but what we now get is a big fat traditional heavy metal track, with brute force in its delivery. Maybe it's a throwback to an earlier time in the band's history, or maybe they are just showing the fans that they do sometimes still love a good old barnstormer in the repertoire. 'Celestial Tyrant' continues the trend, with another more paint-by-number death metal track, complete with complicated riffs and guttural growls. The production is intense and the music claustrophobic, making the song really hit hard. It feels at home, even though it is quite different to earlier songs on the album. And therein lies the number one strength of the album as a whole - that it can so effortlessly move through styles and moods. The songs on the album now take on a life of their own, combining the expansive feel of the first songs with the more traditional ones of the mid-section, giving the listener an oddly coherent experience considering the jarring changes of style through the remaining tracks. 'The Torch' is back to the massive death metal, but with an off-kilter feeling that you still can't quite find a similar artist elsewhere to compare with. It all builds to a wonderful crescendo with closer 'In The Absence Of Wisdom', but it does feel like it knows it is time to end. It is a very long album and has a lot to digest in a one sitting, but repeat listens really do open up the listener to so many fine details that shouldn't be missed. The band truly has created something wholly original and their own, which isn't an easy feat these days, but they did it whilst still showing us every obvious 'borrow' from those that came before them.

Taking a look back of the history of this band, they actually formed in 1988 and cut their Oz chops hitting the sporting clubs and pubs as any wishful rock band would do back in that day. Knocked off a few E.P.'s before eventually releasing their first full length in 1993. It was full of demos and live recordings which isn't a smart idea for a debut, and it flopped. It was however preceded by a debut appearance at the very first Big Day Out festival. Back then, that was your 'in' ticket, if you were smart and used it well. Persistence continued and being a young Oz rock band right in the sweet spot with Triple J really focusing on local Oz talent during the alternative era, they finally hit the mark with Future Spa in 1996. Mostly led by the single 'Dogs Are The Best People' which is a fun, quirky take on what dogs have to offer as a friend rather than another human. However to their credit they put together a number of catchy songs from this album, including the heavy rock tinged 'Self Abuser' and 'Don't Get Death Threats Anymore'. It does die off toward the last 2 or 3 songs, excluding the last song which is a 20 minute track consisting of 2 songs with intervals and then a recording of the band getting pulled over by the police for drug possession. The track only needs the one listen. And kudos to them for still releasing new work still with latest release in 2024.