Ancient rites

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Ancient rites
Ancient Rites logo.jpg
General information
Genre (s) Black Metal (before 1997)
Pagan Metal , Folk Metal (from 1997)
founding 1988
Website http://www.ancientrites.be/
Founding members
Gunther Theys
Philip (until 1990)
guitar
 Johan (until 1990)
Wattie (1989)
Stefan (until 1990)
Current occupation
singing
 Gunther Theys
guitar
 Erik Sprooten (since 1997)
Guitar, bass, keyboards
Domingo Smets (2001, since 2006)
Keyboards
 Davy Wouters (since 2001)
Keyboard
 Walter Van Cortenberg (since 2001)
former members
guitar
 Pascal (1991-1992)
guitar
 Jan "Örkki" Yrlund (1997-2003)
guitar
 Bart Vandereycken (1991–1996 / 2003)

Ancient Rites is a Belgian black metal band with folk metal influences from Diest .

Band history

Gunther Theys founded the band in 1989 with the two guitarists Philip and Johan, bassist Wattie and drummer Stefan. In 1989 Stefan got out again. Gunther Theys took over the vocals in addition to the bass. The demo Dark Ritual was created in 1990 with this line-up . Shortly afterwards, guitarist Philip died in a car accident and drummer Stefan committed suicide . Bart Vandereycken (guitar) and Walter van Cortenberg joined the group.

In 1992 the single Evil Prevails ... and a split 7 '' with the death metal band Renaissance were created. In 1993, two more split releases followed with Uncanny from Sweden and the Greek black metal band Thou Art Lord . After a promo and a fourth split release with Enthroned , the debut album The Diabolic Serenades was released in 1994 . Blasfemia Eternal followed in 1996 . It was the last album with Vandereycken, who left the group before a European tour with Cradle of Filth .

The Finnish guitarist Jan "Örkki" Yrlund and Erik Sprooten joined in 1997. Together with session keyboardist Oliver Philips they recorded the album Fatherland , which heralded a new style for Ancient Rites. The previous albums were typical black metal works of the 1990s, but from this album onwards the group incorporated more orchestral, symphonic elements into their music. The lyrical work of the group had also changed, occult and satanic texts were no longer included on the album, instead Theys now used historical themes such as the imprisonment of the Templar Order ( 13th of October 1307 ), the development of Europe ( Mother Europe ) and further historical events. Dim Carcosa followed in 2001 , for the first time with keyboardist Walter Van Cortenberg. On a European tour with Dismember , Septic Flesh , Primordial , Impious and Blood Red Throne , And the Hordes Stood as One was released, the first live album .

After several line-up changes, the album Rubicon was created in 2006 . After the other changes of position, Laguz was released in 2015 , to date the group's last album.

Music style and lyrical content

While the first two albums The Diabolic Serenades and Blasfemia Eternal were still heavily influenced by the popular Death / Black Metal of the 1990s, Ancient Rites had found their own niche from Fatherland . In addition to black metal, elements of neoclassical music paired with sampled historical instrumentation were increasingly added . There was also a change from the satanic texts of the early days to Eurocentric historical topics. A pro-European attitude is evident in texts such as Mother Europe and Ode to Ancient Europa as well as the collaboration with musicians from the Netherlands, Finland and Germany. The texts are also shaped by Theys' interest in paganism. Texts like Fatherland suspected the group of spreading right-wing extremist views. Gunther Theys denies mixing music and politics at Ancient Rites, but is also a member of the medieval metal band Iron Clad and the Oi! -Group Lion's Pride. The last one in particular appeared again and again with right-wing rock groups. A split DVD with Brigade M was indexed on July 29, 2009 in Germany .

Discography

Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Albums
Rubicon
  BE F 100 06/03/2006 (1 week)

Demos

  • Dark Ritual (1990)
  • Promo 1992 (1992)
  • Promo '94 (1994)

Albums

  • The Diabolic Serenades (1994)
  • Blasfemia Eternal (1996)
  • Fatherland (1998)
  • Dim Carcosa (2001)
  • Rubicon (2006)
  • Laguz (2015)

Singles and EPs

  • Evil Prevails (EP, 1992)
  • Longing for the Ancient kingdom II / Windows (Split-7 '' with Renaissance, 1992)
  • Thou Art Lord / Ancient Rites (Split-7 '', 1993)
  • Uncanny / Ancient Rites (Split LP, 1993)
  • Scared by the Darkwinds / Longing for the Ancient kingdom II ( Picture EP with Enthroned , 1994)

Other publications

  • The First Decade 1989–1999 (compilation, 1999)
  • Scenes of Splendor (VHS / CD-R, 2001)
  • And the Hordes Stood as One (Live album / DVD, 2003)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Matthias Herr: Black Metal Bible . Berlin: Self-published 1998. P. 51ff.
  2. ↑ a b c d Dark Moon 'zine # 8 ( Memento from May 10, 2008 in the Internet Archive ).
  3. ↑ BAnz. No. 79 of July 29, 2009.
  4. ↑ Chart positions: BE Flanders