Band: Ancestors
Title: Neptune With Fire
Label: North Atlantic Sound
Distribution: Suburban - Bertus
Release date: January 2009
Review: CD

On their debut (?) album Neptune With Fire, the Californian-based formation Ancestors (not the Black Metal formation, a new side-project by Haxan and Arts-members) consists of Justin Maranga, Nick Long, Christopher Watkins, Chico Foley and Brandon Pierce. The quintet recorded this eccentric yet epic album at 48 Windows (Santa Monica, CA). Neptune With Fire lasts for almost forty minutes, but it does count only two songs (both of them ‘divided’ into two parts). Indeed, it means that those tracks are very long, but I can assure you: you won’t get bored at all! Neptune With Fire is a trip through ancient forests, where proud and dark souls dwell.
The album opens with Orcus’ Avarice. The very convincing opening riff breaths a purest Doom-atmosphere, supported by a splendid groove. Immediately, names as Saint Vitus or Black Sabbath come to mind. ‘Slow’ and ‘heavy’ are the keywords, injected by melody and power. The instrumental virtuosity by the band members soon gets (dark) crystal clear. The song varies whole the time, and after a fine guitar solo, other influences penetrate the open-minded composition. It is remarkable how the interaction between the different moments sounds so evident, natural and organic at the same time, even though it needs some concentration. Orcus’ Avarice switches easily from psychedelic to droning, from ambient to up-tempo. This massive yet sublime hybrid of (Traditional and even Funeral) Doom, Stoner, Sludge, Post-Rock and Psychedelica sounds as a perfect symbiosis of, let’s say, Neurosis, Pink Floyd, Melvins, Pelican, The Doors, Black Sabbath, Lair Of The Minotaur, Ozric Tentacles, Sleep and High On Fire.
The second track, the title track, starts with a short neo-symphonic organ-intro, yet soon turns into a Sludge-monster with its mammoth-riffs and rhythm section. In a way, I need to think of Unearthly Trance’s Season Of Séance, Science Of Silence. Soon, however, the melody transforms into a groovy Stoner-alike piece, including another excellent guitar solo, which gets mercilessly supported by a sardonic rhythm section. Further on there’s an Industrial / Noise-part, more Psychedelica, more Sludge, more Doom, more Stoner, and again it never fails, not one single moment! Towards the end of this song the atmosphere gets grimmer and colder. A cold piece at the end, by the way, includes a magical, fairylike classical skilled female voice and believe it or not, it fits again!
Besides the importance of the instruments (the melodic yet un-cliché guitar solos versus the ultra-heavy bass parts, the (semi-) acoustic guitars, the rhythmic drum patters, the atmospheric organ and the noisy samples), the vocals are used as an instrument too. In fact, the main part on this album is instrumental, while the vocals appear in a modest way. But the variation on the limited vocal performance is a surplus, due to the fact that most members contribute vocally.
I cannot but conclude: majestic!

92/100

Ivan Tibos.