Anciients – Beyond the Reach of Sun
Release Date: 30th August 2024
Label: Season of Mist
Bandcamp
Genre: Progressive Metal, Death Metal, Sludge.
FFO: Mastodon, Opeth, Baroness, The Ocean.
Review By: Ceta
Anciients emerged as a dream come true for any progressive metal aficionado. With Beyond the Reach of the Sun, my hopes are sky-high. This album could propel them to the forefront of the prog scene. It’s not like their previous work hasn’t been exceptional, but I’ve always felt that only a little more is needed for Anciients to become, if not a mainstream band, then one of the most important bands out there.
My first impression is that the album is well-balanced; it doesn’t suffer from excessive complexity or lingering. A common complaint with many progressive metal albums is how derivative the ideas can become, but that’s not the case here. Anciients manages to keep most of what it offers fresh and relevant. There might be moments that are a bit too contemplative for me, but if you have a sweet spot for old progressive rock, those moments could give you the breaks you need to fully enjoy the album.
There have been many albums about space in recent years, but none have approached the theme like Beyond the Reach of the Sun. It doesn’t really feel like it’s about space. It gives me the impression of being more of a spiritual journey, guided by some of the smoothest songwriting you’ll hear this year. Not many bands can maintain such a good flow of ideas across all their tracks. That remains a staple of Anciients’ sound.
However, the album isn’t without its flaws. While I admire Anciients’ songwriting, the album occasionally feels overextended. There’s a tendency to linger unnecessarily, causing the momentum to wane. It’s also not a revolutionary change from their previous efforts. I don’t think bands need to change their sound drastically every time they release a new album, but I would’ve liked to see more experimentation. Either way, this album slays!
Despite these minor grievances, Beyond the Reach of the Sun offers everything a prog metal fan could desire. It also delivers memorable riffs and songs that many of us could enjoy for years to come. Time will tell if this album becomes the breakthrough for the band, though to me, they’ve always been some of the best in the game.
(4 / 5)
