It’s been six years since we’ve had new music from Ancestors, a proggy post-sludge outfit that’s apparently gone from a quintet to a three-piece in the process. Not only have they slimmed down their lineup, but they also seem to have trimmed the fat. While 2012’s In Dreams and Time featured six tracks spanning 66 minutes, this one contains the same number of songs in a much more compact 36:30.
“Gone” starts things off with six minutes of slow, heavy, melodies with more of an airy, post-rock feel and a chill instrumental section that straddles the five-minute mark and flows perfectly into “Through a Window,” which gives off a bit of a Pink Floyd vibe—especially in the vocal department. And even with the slimmed-down lineup, it seems like they’ve kept the organ on this one.
At over seven-and-a-half minutes, “Lying in the Grass” is much more mellow. They even use a vocoder right from the get-go. The first heavy riff kicks in just past the three-minute mark with a chorus that’s equal parts Neurosis and HIM (yes, the Finnish “love metal” outfit). It’s also followed by a whispered spoken-word interlude and an airy, shoegaze guitar solo. “Into The Fall” goes one step further, incorporating church bells and a string section. Isis or Neurosis never did anything like this!
