It’s been a long road back for British Columbia-based progressive death metal band Anciients since their last record. After 2016’s Voice of the Void, the group and its members went through a number of events and changes that made fans question whether the band would ever release another album. Now, some eight years later, they’ve returned with their third full-length effort proves the old adage that good things come to those who wait. Beyond the Reach of the Sun builds on where the group left off nearly a decade ago, while evolving the group’s sound to new territory.
The path to the album being written, recorded, and released, however, was not an easy one. Around the time Voice of the Void was being recorded, guitarist and vocalist Kenny Cook and his wife welcome their first child to the world. His wife developed nearly fatal heart complications afterwards, which caused an understandable shift in priorities for the Anciients frontman. Chris Dyck (guitars/vocals), Cook’s longtime songwriting partner in the band, then departed in early 2017. Cook then moved his family from Vancouver, where the remaining members of the band reside, to a town about four hours away. The global pandemic of 2020 also didn’t make things any easier, as Canada’s strict policies affected the band’s ability to collaborate and play live, as border crossings were banned for nearly two years.
The genesis of Beyond the Reach of the Sun was 2021, when Cook and his bandmates scrapped the old material they had and started fresh using remote writing sessions. The results combined the sounds of their first two albums, the aforementioned Void and 2013’s debut Heart of Oak, with the addition of Justin Hagberg’s keyboards on a number of tracks, adding a new element to their progressive death style. The additions of Brock MacInnes on guitar, and the 11th hour decision to have Rory O’Brien on bass round out the band’s new lineup with Cook and veteran drummer Mike Hannay.
Upon first listen, it’s hard not to notice the undoubted influence the early Opeth records had on the group, most notably in their song structures and the alternation between clean and harsh vocals. Similar to those records, Beyond the Reach of the Sun is a concept album, telling the story of a society that’s been enslaved by forces from another dimension. Through that lens, Cook delivers lyrics inspired by the deeply personal experiences he had in the eight years prior that shape the themes of uncertainty, fright, and isolation that permeate throughout the album’s 58 minutes. His harsh vocals evoke Mikael Åkerfeldt as a clear model, while his clean delivery evokes a faint nod to Jerry Cantrell’s harmonizing from Alice in Chains.
Beginning with the longest track on the album, “Forbidden Sanctuary,” Anciients embark on a musical journey that provides a cathartic release of the emotions they group have experienced over the last eight years through creative storytelling, monster riffs, clean acoustic sections, and sparkling vocals. The daunting, Mastodon-esque lead of “Despoiled” carries the second track, while “Is It Your God” reflects on faith and destiny of the religious, especially when dealt particularly difficult life events. The peaks and valleys of “Melt the Crown” and “Cloak of the Vast and Black” display what Cook speaks about when he says the band really blended their styles, alternating between classic rock and progressive death metal. “Celestial Tyrant” shows the shredding acumen of both Cook and MacInnes, while “Beyond Our Mind,” “The Torch,” and “Candescence” swirl with between agony and ecstasy before the epic closer to the saga, “In the Absence of Wisdom.”
It may have taken them eight years, overcoming a number of personal and public obstacles in the process, but Anciients have delivered a worthy follow up to Voice of the Void with their third full length record. Beyond the Reach of the Sun is available through Season of Mist on Friday, August 30th, and it is a worthwhile addition to your progressive death metal collection.
Album Score: 8/10
Standout Tracks: “Melt the Crown,” “Despoiled,” “Cloak of the Vast and Black,” “In the Absence of Wisdom,” “Forbidden Sanctuary”
Recommendation: If you need something to hold you over until the new Opeth record, give Beyond the Reach of the Sun a spin and you might actually prefer it to their idols!
