Biography
The band initially started as a solo project of guitarist Aphazel in 1992. The following year, Grimm joined the band as drummer and vocalist. They released the Eerily Howling Winds demo in 1993 and the Det Glemte Riket EP in 1994. They subsequently signed to Listenable Records and released their debut album, Svartalvheim. After the release of the Trolltaar EP in 1995, Grimm left the band.
Aphazel then moved to the United States where he met Lord Kaiaphas of Virginia based Black metal band Grand Belial's Key, who soon became the new vocalist and drummer of Ancient. In 1996 the band signed a contract with Metal Blade Records (which led to sellout accusations), and two new members joined the band: Kimberly Goss as a female vocalist and keyboardist, and Kjetil as a drummer. Together, they recorded Ancient's second full-length album The Cainian Chronicle, and later embarked on a European tour.
In 1997, Goss was replaced by Erichte, Kjetil left the band, and a new guitarist/keyboardist entered Ancient under the name of Jesus Christ. With the new lineup, Ancient released their third album, Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends. After a world tour, Aphazel met Deadly Kristin, who became the new female vocalist, and he decided to move to Italy.
1998 brought more lineup changes: Krigse took over the drums, Dhilorz became the new bassist, and Lord Kaiaphas left the band. In 1999, The Halls of Eternity was released, with Aphazel as the new vocalist.
Upon the exit of Krigse, Ancient went on to find a replacement in the local metal scene. A new tour followed, including the band's first concerts in Scandinavia, and in 2000, Ancient played at Wacken Open Air main stage with the new drummer GroM who joined in May 2000. A compilation EP called God Loves the Dead was released in January 2001, featuring some remixes, a new single and a cover of Iron Maiden's 'Powerslave' song.
Ancient's fifth album, Proxima Centauri, was recorded at Los Angered Recording (Andy LaRocque's studio) and mastered at Sterling Sound in New York. It was then released on October 15, 2001. Another world tour followed, including Mexico, Eastern Europe and Israel (though the band was under the impression to be the first foreign black metal band to have played in Israel, the Aeba and Ancient Rites were there before). After the tour, Deadly Kristin decided to leave the band. Ancient then proceeded to move closer to their classic black metal origins and began the writing of a new album as a 4-piece.
On July 13, 2004, Ancient released their sixth album, Night Visit. Written in drummer Grom's studio at the feet of the Alps, the album was recorded at Studio Fredman and mixed by famous Swedish producer Fredrik Nordström. Following the release, the band embarked on another European tour called "A Night VisiTour" in 2005, with Illdisposed as co-headliners and Final Breath as support. After the tour, GroM unexpectedly left the band to pursue his professional drumming career in Los Angeles, where he now resides.
Aphazel and Deadly Kristin released an album with their side-project called 'Dreamlike Horror', for Greek label Sleaszy Rider Records in June 2005.
Throughout his years with Ancient, drummer Grom has recorded, released and participated in a vast number of recordings for various side-projects and other bands as a guest or hired session player. Some of these include cult Italian progressive black metal band Hortus Animae, Opposite Sides, Hate Profile, The 'K', K-Again and Dragonheart records/SPV Viking metal band Doomsword among others. Bassist Dhilorz was a member of the Italian melo-death metal band Infliction and released several albums with them.
Live, the band featured Aleister of Faust (a cult Italian death metal band) on guitar and following Grom's departure, also featured Nick Barker (Cradle Of Filth, Dimmu Borgir...) on drums.
Ancient's original demos, including Eerily Howling Winds, were re-released in 2005 in an album called Eerily Howling Winds - The Antediluvian Tapes.
Since then, a lull of inactivity that would last three years would come about, and since then Ancient have parted ways with Metal Blade Records due to the completion of their recording contract and the label's "supposed" loss of interest in the black metal genre.
In 2009 they briefly reformed for a brief new set of live shows.
Metal Blade has since then released a 3-CD pack containing the band's 3 releases before the final 'Night Visit' album: 'The halls of eternity', 'God loves the dead' & 'Proxima Centauri'.
In 2011, band's lead singer Aphazel announced that he shortened his artist name to Zel and also announced plans for a new studio album.
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