Inner peace, compassion and alien-eyed visions’ve usurped the horrors of olden death metal today as the noveau hippies of the ‘new old school’ movement embrace deeper generational echoes of early 90’s underground enlightenment. Emotional maturity, social awakening and greater self-actualization are among the mind-broadening subjects addressed and encouraged within this debut full-length album from Walpole, Massachusetts-based psychedelic death metal quartet ANCIENT DEATH as the ego-death depicted portends a potential higher state of personal authenticity will follow. As they go on whirling through ‘Ego Dissolution‘ these folks act within the realm of progressive and pure death metal tropes in construct of bespoke mutations curated from a point of strong personal taste, transforming recognizable tones and space-cased rhythmic temperament into righteously flowing movements. As this hotly wafting set of gestures are delivered between familiar hands and curiously invaginating riffs its oddly meditative roar-and-shred manifests intimately surreal moment after moment, a not-so bizarre stretch of contemplative thought and surrealistic wonderment.

Ancient Death formed circa 2019 via folks you might recognize from progressive death metal band Garroted as well as related projects Matriphagy and Morbid Vitality. Before the original quartet had released any material they’d swapped drummers circa 2022 with Rhode Island based Derek Moniz (Churchburn, Cruciamentum) joining since. It’d be fair to set your expectations nearby an alt-evolution beyond Garroted wherein the weirding spectrum of ‘old school’ underground death metal meets up with otherworldly tones, Finnish death metal atmosphere, and inspiration from the new breed of spaced-out stuff beyond the early 2010’s all coalesce. The first digital single they’d released (“Labyrinths of Self-Reflection“, 2022) should have taken you there with tentative intensity and a wild trade-off of (four) solos to highlight their introduction, soon leading to an EP release (‘Sacred Vessel‘, 2022). The broader first impression was one of progressive rock shaped death metal, a patient and searching breed that’d owed some of its spaced fusion to Cynic with some Demigod-esque twists taken. In the process of coursing through the band’s discography thus far and some of their related projects what does carry through is an intent to express personal dilemma and sojourn in general through heady (mostly) riff centered craft as a sort of psychedelic self-purge, moreso than an escapist or paranoiac sci-fi fantasy.

The step these folks have taken with ‘Ego Dissolution‘ is perhaps easiest likened to the cinematic positioning of Cavern Womb or the harder-edged side of mid-2010’s Horrendous in the sense that their explorations are ephemerally shot, guided towards melody but often leaving the thought incomplete or half-stated before moving onward to the next riff or interjection, leaving the mind lingering where they’ve left it and developing a ranting cadence in many cases. If you were a fan of the easy dripping motions Cadaveric Fumes‘ final LP or appreciate the more The Chasm-leaning riffcraft VoidCeremony‘s first album there is a similar chill n’ skilled-up step to this record where the baseline is set via classics-minded ideals/references in the midst of Ancient Death‘s distant, cloudy zen-atmospheric presence. Consider ’em a ritualistic/shamanic doom metal band playing Finndeath tempered Floridian prog-death (re: “Journey to the Inner Soul”.)

Opener/title track (“Ego Dissolution”) really makes plenty of room for these folks to flex their ability to rant off into space via a largely instrumental piece which kicks from one death-thrashing groove to shredding celestial loft. The wandering spirit found there sets the standard and pace for ‘Ego Dissolution‘ using late 80’s death metal rhythmus as their main feature (see: the lead melody ~1:17 minutes in), speaking the dramatic language of ‘The Karelian Isthmus‘ and ‘Unquestionable Presence‘ at once. As the volume knob guitar swells and spongier riffs collided I was pretty easily sold on this record from those first five minutes, purely effective opener full of exceptional lines via an indulgent and almost playfully executed hand.

There is a swinging-loose ease, a slick yet distanced tone to the warbling thrash of “Breaking the Barriers of Hope” which never fully shouts in the face of the listener but bullies up with some of the album’s harder grooves. Keener-than-thou eared fans of Atheist should pick up on this bands cross-eyed love for (again) ‘Unquestionable Presence‘ and I’m not saying that for the sake of Jerry Witunsky currently playing guitar for the band but there are nods to that classic atmosphere, quick-escalating lead guitar style and quick snapping grooves of that album all over ‘Ego Dissolution‘. All that this conveys to my ear is an ideal, or serious fandom, surrounding some of the more transcendental death metal records of the early 90’s.

An underlying rhythmic motif solidifies in mind as “Breathe – Transcend (Into the Glowing Streams of Forever)” carries the wave, a slow-to-form Bolt Thrower-esque jog eventually breaking through a folkish, surreal introduction. The big surprise here comes via clean vocals from bassist Jasmine Alexander (see also: “Echoing Chambers Within the Dismal Mind”) adding to the moment without killing the momentum of the song. This doesn’t feel like a one-trick pony ‘new old school’ death metal record but a record that is flexing its face off with how in-step its rhythms can get when they lock in. The outro to that song in particular had me wheeling back several times and stepping back into that high-strung apex of shrieks and riff runs; By the time we’re hitting the ‘Heartwork’-tipped roll of “Unspoken Oath” we’re fist-deep into Side B and the focus of the full listen feels unraveled, unsure of its next step but definitely rocking out with its shaken-out groove. The bass guitar tone is far too understated for my own taste on this album but I’d appreciated that song in particular for opening up their rhythms to reveal more of their rhythmic underpinnings in broader strokes, however ranting their phrases end up being.

The space made between the high of “Unspoken Oath” and closer “Violet Light Decays” initially felt unnecessary but “Discarnate” does well to set up the closing song, provide one deep breath before their rattled shouting begins. It isn’t my favorite song on the album by far, leaving the tone agitated without a point of relief, yet the finality/intensity conveyed in Ancient Death‘s quick-stepping movement creates an queasy level of tension that makes sense enough for an endpoint. I’m more than likely to skip the last two songs on the average ‘full’ listen or wheel back to Side A in general as the favored run here. ~35 minutes is not a demanding investment for a first act on the part of the listener and seeing the whole thing through was still entertaining when coursed through for the umpteenth time. High rhythmic competency and an unusual hand applied to grooving mid-paced death metal works out for these folks and especially in the moment, everything is presented in neatly woven knots which maintain an irregular shape which allow for a mind-bending, heady experience which carries a very strong spiritual connection with classic death metal. I won’t suggest all of ‘Ego Dissolution‘ is outright memorable in terms of catchier pop-metal moments, not at all, but the overall trip did stick in mind as I worked my way through labyrinthine meditation. Any fan of progressive death metal or psychedelia’s imprint upon death metal should appreciate this one. A high recommendation.

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