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 Ancestral Blood
“Forgotten Myths and Legends, Pt. I” (WormHoleDeath, 2023)

I have always associated Black Metal with mythical and fantastic creatures, places, events, etc. This might be due to some of the bands and sounds I started listening to back in the day. Bands like Bal-Sagoth, for example, have always been one of the best examples of how Black Metal can be… fantastic. Horrifying creatures and powerful mages, all gathered around a sound that echoes through the frozen mountains. Imagine Lord of the Rings… and you get Summoning, yes. Well, Ancestral Blood is not related to Summoning, no Sir. Ancestral Blood is much more rooted in the aggressive side of Black Metal but holding tight to that fantastic side of it. No symphonic Black Metal, no.

The USBM scene has always been very present in that segment of the genre, and today’s scene has some good examples of a sound indicative of such sights, of which Ancestral Blood is a very valid part. The band has been around since 1999and only has 2 releases, surprisingly: a Split with Vesterian, in 2022, and this new album, to be released this month of July. The album provides a sense of majestic emotion throughout, and it uplifts the listener, although it is never a weak set of music. Glorious and powerful feelings irradiate from these tracks, and a good example is “Sky Fortress of Wizardry”, with a distinct pace, differentiated from the rest of the record, but immense and massive. I would not say depressive, but it definitely has this more melancholic side to it. It is addictive!

Whenever the band embarks in exclusively instrumental moments, or pieces, does it with class. At times, they seem to roam towards a more traditional Heavy Metal side, but those Black Metal riffs - and drums - pull them back down, to the flames of Hell. Ancestral Blood’s Black Metal is of high quality, in my opinion. They were able to craft a sound that is both addictive and semi-complex, and its complexity exists without falling into a whirlpool of overly technical soulless sound. It spins every day, to be honest, and I have not yet found it weak and uninspired. It will, without a doubt, spin more often.



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