Fear, Emptiness, Decibel: Anciients Star in the Latest Episode of Converse x Decibel

Before there were blogs there were these things called magazines, and the only metal magazine we still get excited about reading every month is Decibel. Here’s managing editor Andrew Bonazelli…

At the end of June, Anciients’ debut LP Heart of Oak appeared in four MetalSucks staffers’ exuberantly premature “Best of 2013… So Far” lists—including those by Vince and Axl, whose word is obviously law. We at Decibel gave the four-piece a slightly more conservative lead review in the April issue, but I can assure you, the top of the masthead thinks very highly of these British Columbia beardos. It’s always exciting when a new band issues a debut that blurs the line between adventurous and familiar—Anciients have a long way to go before we regard them the way we do their clear, chameleonic influences Mastodon and Baroness, but they’re off to a great start.

As you know, pretty much every metal-oriented band in the Pacific Northwest (Wolves in the Throne Room, Agalloch, some random USBM project in Seattle that isn’t coming to mind) is way into nature. It’s hard for New Yorkers and Philadelphians to understand, since we hardly have any of our own. Now, Anciients reside well north of Portland, but they’re no exception, and they talk about how the great outdoors has influenced their music in the latest Converse x Decibel. Aaron Gustafson, Mike Hannay, Chris Dyck and Kenneth Paul Cook venture deep into the BC woods, like many an extreme outfit before them, except their vision quest mostly entails cannonballing into rivers. “Things here are big and epic,” the band sagely notes. “So, this kind of imagery finds its way into [our] kind of music.” Take off your shirt and go find your spirit animal.

The October 2013 issue of Decibel  features Carcass, High on Fire, and Gorguts. You can purchase it here. But why not just get a full subscription to ensure that you never miss an issue?