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ANCIIENTS

ANCIIENTS photo by tiina liimu

Mine their first full-length recording


Anciients are alive and rock among us. Their music is precise and poetic and the band is on a heavy metal misson.

Guitarists/vocalists Ken Cook (Black Wizard, SprëadEagle) and Chris Dyck (SprëadEagle) make up one half of the band Anciients. Recently they took a moment to reflect on their music and where it is about to take them. They are fortunate to have a great rhythm section in bassist Aaron “Boon” Gustafson (SprëadEagle) and drummer Mike Hannay (Mammoth, M16) who inspire them both every practice and performance.


This band is influenced by a wide spectrum of great music. Cook is direct: “There are so many different kinds of music that get me stoked and put me in the mood to come up with music of my own. I really love to record and hear the songs progress from day to day.” Cook and Dyck credit the band’s teamwork when talking about their progress and the experience so far.

ANCIIENTS photo by tiina liimu

Anciients have signed with a “fairly major metal label” and are pleased with the sound of the new record. Jesse Gander (Cooked and Eaten, Rotting Hills, Burning Ghats, AHNA, Weirding, Jolts and Bison) of Hive Creative Labs is behind the engineering and mastering for their full-length album, which was produced by Anciients. The release date will be announced shortly.

 They enjoy the creative process. Dyck marvels at the “riff machine” that is Kenny Cook, who in turn describes Dyck as a “superior wordsmith”: I will have the melody for a song; he will come up with words and we work together to make them fit to the melody.” All the band members contribute to arrangements.

 The progress made so far as a band and the fulfillment they feel recording and performing their own music has motivated each member to bring more to the songwriting table. Fans can look forward to the upcoming release of a new Anciients recording.

 In the meantime, their 2011 EP, recorded by Shawn Penner and mastered by Stu McKillop (previously available only by download), will be released on seven inch vinyl and should be available in time for their mid September show with Jucifer. More September dates are booked in Victoria and Kamloops BC, and they will be in Alberta before the end of September. Dyck is excited to tour longer stretches. “I like playing live; after years of SprëadEagle gigs, it's become kind of an addiction.” Alberta dates are coming up which include Noctis 4.20 MetalFest in Calgary. “We feel very privileged to have been invited to play this year. Venom is the headliner for fuck sake!”

 Keep your ears to the ground for rumours of an “extended” DIECEMBERFEST to close out what will prove to be a memorable year for Anciients and their fans.

Anciients play September 16 at The Rickshaw Theatre, and Calgary on September 28. The Interurban Gallery in Vancouver, October 12.

Jackie Thunders