Metal would not be stopped!
After the demise of classic-rock powerhouse SpreadEagle in 2009 (a fixture in the Lower Mainland metal scene for more than a decade) a few of the band mates retreated to their base in Mission and continued to informally jam together on weekends.
Sharing guitar and vocal duties, Chris Dyck and Kenny Cook became increasingly excited about the quality and quantity of the riffs they were writing. Reclaiming bassist Aaron "Boon" Gustafson from touring duty in 3 Inches Of Blood, the discovery of drummer Mike Hannay (much younger than the other three but very talented and eager) sealed the deal and their resolve.
Audiences went wild for Ancients' progressive metal sound and the group quickly decided to enlist the services of Jesse Gander, of Burnaby's Hive Creative Labs Studio.
Behind the recording console for albums by The Pack A.D., Japandroids, Vancougar and more, Gander approached the recording process methodically.
“Jesse was fantastic to work with,” raves Dyck. “He watched us live many times, and invested lot of time planning out the recording process, and the sonics of the album.”
“Unlike some engineers,” chimes in Cook, “he understands obscure references to sounds and tones. It's sometimes hard to describe sounds with words, but he always totally got it.”
After months of recording, over dubs, editing, mixing, and mastering, the album was completed.
With a buzz about Ancients rapidly growing, the band's new management shopped the finished product with fantastic results.
“I can't disclose too much right now,” explains Dyck, “but we're very close to signing (any day now) a record deal with a known, major, metal record label. We're stoked, because out of a few choices, they were our first.”
Though the paperwork remains and lawyer fees loom, it looks like the band's fortunes are on the rise, and the powerful, loud melodies of Ancients will be heard by a much wider audience this fall.
Ancients play The Royal on Saturday, June 23. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $10 at the door.