Ancient Rites
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Ancient Rites is a Belgian
black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
band formed in 1988. Initially, the lineup consisted of guitar players Johan and Phillip, drummer Stefan, and Gunther Theys on bass and vocals.Rivadavia, Eduardo " Ancient Rites Biography, ''
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
'', Macrovision Corporation.
In 1990 the ''Dark Ritual'' demo was released in the underground scene, getting worldwide attention just as black metal was gaining importance in the metal scene. Soon after the release of this demo Phillip died in a car crash and not long after, Stefan committed suicide. However painful this episode was to the band, they decided to continue and Stefan's position was taken by his drum roadie Walter van Cortenberg. As Johan then decided to leave the music scene, the band found replacements for both him and Phillip in guitar players Pascal and Bart Vandereycken. This line-up would go on to release the ''Evil Prevails'' EP and several others through various record labels. Pascal was eventually fired for lack of dedication due to his obligations to the
Belgian Navy The Belgian Navy, officially the Naval Component (, ; , ; , ) of the Belgian Armed Forces, is the Navy, naval service of Belgium. History Early history The Belgian Navy was created as the ''Marine Royale'' () on 15 January 1831. This force ...
, which reduced the band to a trio. In 1994 their first full-length album was released entitled ''The Diabolic Serenades''. This line-up would also record the band's second album ''Blasfemia Eternal'' before in May 1996, just after its release, Bart left the band. Flemish and non-Flemish musicians stepped in to help out the band on several tours in support of the album, which eventually led the once strongly Flemish rooted band to become an international act with the addition of Dutch guitar player Erik Sprooten (ex-
Inquisitor An inquisitor was an official (usually with judicial or investigative functions) in an inquisition – an organization or program intended to eliminate heresy and other things contrary to the doctrine or teachings of the Catholic faith. Literall ...
) later that same year and Finnish guitar player Jan "Örkki" Yrlund (ex- Lacrimosa) in mid-1997. Shortly after the release of their third album ''Fatherland'' a keyboard player was found in Domingo Smets (ex-
Agathocles Agathocles ( Greek: ) is a Greek name. The most famous person called Agathocles was Agathocles of Syracuse, the tyrant of Syracuse. The name is derived from and . Other people named Agathocles include: *Agathocles, a sophist, teacher of Damon ...
). This line-up would record ''Dim Carcosa'', before Smets left the band in 2002 and a replacement was found in Davy Wouters (ex-Oblivion, Danse Macabre). This line-up can be seen on the live album/DVD ''And the Hordes Stood as One''. While on tour in support of the live album in May 2003, the band fired guitar player Jan Yrlund and brought back Bart in his stead. In December 2004, the line-up was further extended with the return of former members Domingo Smets, who took over as bass player since Günther wanted to focus on singing, and Raf Jansen—who had filled Bart's position for several months in 1996-1997—as third guitar player. Most of 2005 was spent writing songs for the new album ''Rubicon'', which was released on 15 May 2006. Over the years, Ancient Rites have played with bands like
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. The band has been accused of being right-wing/nationalist, which the band itself denies.


Members


Current members

* Gunther Theys – bass (1989–2004, 2014–2021), vocals (1988–present) * Erik Sprooten – guitars (1996–present) * Jory Hogeveen – guitars (2019–present) * Patrick Mallo - bass (2022-present) * John Berry - drums (2022-present)


Past members

* Patrick "Wattie" Alfons Cyriel Bloos – bass (1988–1989) * Philip Bollengier – guitars (1988–1990; his death) * Stefan Bernar – drums (1989–1990; his death) * Johan Vrancken – guitars (1989–1990) * Franky Swinnen – guitars (1991) * Pascal – guitars (1991–1993) * Bart Vandereycken – guitars (1991–1996, 2003–2007) * Raf Jansen – guitars (1996–1997, 2005–2006) * Jan "Örkki" Yrlund – guitars (1997–2003) * Domingo Smets – keyboards (1999–2001), bass (2004–2007), guitars (2007–2015) * Davy Wouters – keyboards (2001–2010, 2011) * Thomas Cochrane – guitars (2015–2019) * Walter van Cortenberg – drums (1991–2021, his death)


Timeline


Discography


Albums and EPs

*''Evil Prevails'' (EP) – (1992) *''The Diabolic Serenades'' – (1994) *''Blasfemia Eternal'' – (1996) *''Fatherland'' – (1998) *''The First Decade 1989–1999'' (compilation) – (1999) *''Dim Carcosa'' – (2001) *''And the Hordes Stood as One'' (live) – (2003) *''Rubicon'' – (2006) *''Laguz'' – (2015)


VHS and DVDs

*''Scenes of Splendour'' (VHS) – (2001) *''And the Hordes Stood as One'' (DVD) – (2003)


Miscellaneous releases

*''Dark Ritual'' (demo) – (1990) *''Promo 1992'' (demo) – (1992) *''Longing for the Ancient Kingdom II / Windows'' (split with Renaissance) – (1993) *''Thou Art Lord / Ancient Rites'' (split with Thou Art Lord) – (1993) *''Uncanny / Ancient Rites'' (split with
Uncanny The uncanny is the psychological experience of an event or thing that is unsettling in a way that feels oddly familiar, rather than simply mysterious. This phenomenon is used to describe incidents where a familiar entity is encountered in a frig ...
) – (1993) *''Scared by Darkwinds / Longing for the Ancient Kingdom II'' (split with Enthroned) – (1994)


References


External links


Official website
*
Ancient Rites
at metal-archives.com {{Authority control Belgian heavy metal musical groups Belgian black metal musical groups Viking metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1988 Belgian musical quintets Season of Mist artists English-language musical groups from Belgium