ANCIIENTS

Canada's ANCIIENTS were arguably amongst the most promising prog metal bands following their 2013 debut "Heart Of Oak". They were instantly a force to be reckoned with, wielding finesse and diversity of expression that was accessible and easily digestible, rooted with the tools of the extreme metal trade, to boot.

But just before their sophomore outing, 2016's "Voice Of The Void", guitarist/vocalist Kenny Cook and his wife had a baby, followed by unexpected heart issues stemming from the pregnancy which nearly took her life. Compounded with a major lineup shift and the pandemic, which hindered Canadian bands more than their US counterparts due to excessive travel restrictions and mandates, their momentum was derailed. So now, finally, ANCIIENTS returns with "Beyond The Reach Of The Sun", a release that lives up to the hype and exceeds expectations.

Casual pigeonholing can be lazy and certainly unfair, but the human mind invariably recognizes patterns and like things. If you combine the best parts of OPETH, MASTODON and KATATONIA, that may paint a general picture. With "Beyond The Reach Of The Sun", the crazy Canucks just might be proving themselves to be better than the aforementioned, revered heavy hitters. "Despoiled", for one, offers a frenzy of fist-pumping riffs that just might make Matt Pike jealous.

The British Columbia-based act continues to impress with its self-restraint in tempering immense talent in favor of writing the best songs possible. In other words, they sidestep the common pitfall that talented prog musicians face: "musical masturbation," as some call it, the tendency for overindulgence at the expense of writing a good song. "Celestial Tyrant" drives forth with hard rocking melodic riff work and melody, playful yet effective build-ups, a pseudo-Middle Eastern lick, head-nodding groove and pointed death metal that's never unhinged yet sinister in the vein of PESTILENCE. And that's just one song.

The hard rock element has indeed become more prominent with the unit that previously highlighted its more aggressive tendencies. "Is It Your God" is a passionate melodious song that may bring you to tears with its soulful vocals and brooding melancholy. And wherever they march throughout the album, the transitions are fluid and logical. There's a sense of control as they adventurously wander, a powerful expression within the tumultuous world and circumstances the band faced this last decade.

ANCIIENTS have come back in a big way. An obvious prog metal masterpiece. One can only hope that their next album will arrive soon.