Album Review: Ancient Death - Ego Dissolution
Reviewed by Sam Jones
I’ve seen quite a bit of buildup regarding this record lately. Ancient Death, formed in 2021 and out of Massachusetts, United States, are new to me but various social medias have really been purporting the idea that this is an act worth checking out. Their first EP, Sacred Vessel, released in 2022 and only a year later was followed up with a Split alongside Germany’s Putridarium. Now two years on the band are at last preparing that integral next step towards a wider audience. Ego Dissolution, primed for an April 18th release date, features (literally) eye-opening artwork as created by artist Maegan LeMay whose work has been implemented by Cruel Force, Phantom and Black Mass. it’s also worth acknowledging how the band are only putting out their debut studio album and are already signed on to Profound Lore Records; such a signing is early into your career is no small feat and thus speaks volumes of the trust the label places in Ancient Death’s capabilities. But now it’s out turn to see just what Ego Dissolution can offer us. There’s been lots of advertisement for this record. It’s time to see if it measures up.
If there’s one way to describe Ancient Death’s soundscape, it would be monumental. Right out of the gate the band hold nothing back as we’re flung face first into the searing nightmare their songwriting conjures. Its also far from conventional cinderblock-dense death metal too; granted their riffs possess great weight and we’re struck by just how much force feels thrown into each and every punch however, the band show us early on their songwriting is composed of more ethereal, intangible elements than death metal typically spouts. The power is present but its expressed through more than sheer blast beats and rapid-fire strumming alone. The riffs are ever-evolving and often develop into more methodical displays of guitar playing, and then you have the solos. The soloing across this record feels like magic, boasting an incorporeal quality whereby we acknowledge their prowess yet feel as if we could not physically touch these strings. Much of Ancient Death’s songwriting feels as if it were plucked off transient planes that you and I could never tread upon. This is the kind of record where the thought, “hang on… I need to hear that again”, is second nature.
The production has done absolute wonders for the band here, for their performance is more than simply clear; it absolutely pops off the record cover. Take the drums for example, there is hardly a moment where the drums, even pulling off the most conventional sounding, mundane patterns, feel utterly primed for attention since the album clearly has more room available than the band themselves take up. Ego Dissolution is a grandiose record yet even with its engorged scale there’s tons of space for the band’s sound to move about in. As a result we won’t feel boxed in by their relentless pursuit of all things otherworldly, guaranteeing a smoother listening experience, whilst still ensuring the band aren’t having to compromise on atmosphere. Everything feels like it was outlined in bold, down to the smallest niceties thus lending the band a gravitas that feels more a byproduct of their efforts as opposed to a deliberate inclusion. Other bands who have tried to undertake the latter often overdo this element and thus hinder their own performance. Not so with Ancient Death; every single aspect of their sound explodes off the record and no one instrument or vocal track is having to challenge another for our attention.
Given the nature of songwriting we have covered, its no surprise that the band aren’t always putting the pedal to the floor. The band’s more profound instances arguably originate from their nuanced moments, where the aggression and intensity rapidly dissipate and we’re left with this stream of energy that seemingly flows and meanders before its picked up once more with renewed vitriol. I’d say it’s the inclusion of such moments that really heighten Ancient death above their contemporaries for it shows us they did not go into the writing process with slaughter and mayhem solely on their minds; songwriting like this takes time and planning, putting it into reality is another step entirely. Its this vast juxtaposition that works to their advantage wherein those more nuanced moments give us the necessary breather to truly appreciate the more maniacal sections. With that said, the more conventional songwriting we get here is utterly relentless for there are sequences where you’ll feel the momentum not merely roll with you but threaten to bowl you over. You’ll catch yourself not simply headbanging along but grooving your whole body with the rhythm as their tempo continuously fluctuates according to their songwriting’s designs. Like harnessing purified energy in its most primal essence, Ancient Death know better than to just mould it into a singular form; power like this is best morphed and sculpted to adapt to numerous forms owing to its boundless potential.
There will come a time during the record where you’ll truly appreciate the band for allowing you to listen to the vocals without challenge from the instrumentation. That first cry of the vocals I heard raised my eyebrows to their highest in some time, for not only is there power inherent but the sheer reach these vocals seem capable of reaching for. Forget yourself alone, the vocals here feel like they’re reaching for the person ten rows behind you; I can only imagine what Ancient Death’s live performances must feel like when their studio work bears all the hallmarks of an electrifying stage presence. What did genuinely surprise me though was the incorporation of cleaner, softer vocals. These are sporadic and clearly a secondary vocal feature since they are only utilised in specific places, but when they are brought to the fray they certainly induce the band’s sound with a more ethereal mystique, complementing an already cerebral aesthetic. The vocals act for the record with the same chemistry the riffs do.
In conclusion, this is absolutely sensational. A band this young putting out their first full length album and it’s a triumph to this extent? It goes to show extreme metal could not be in a stronger, more secure place in 2025. Ancient Death will see you pushed to the very limitations of corporeal existence and back again, rending your psyche and physical form into putty which they’ll apathetically reshape in whatever form they think you’ll best embody. The best comparison I can make to this record is when Death were releasing Symbolic or The Sound Of Perseverance; Ancient Death herein share many of the same qualities: sporadically shifting songwriting, a leaning towards more transient and philosophical subject matter, the courage to pull back and allow the record’s more cerebral elements take centre stage. All of this in just over thirty-five minutes too, Ego Dissolution makes no attempt to embellish itself, to make any especial showmanship of its promise. This is an extremely approachable record and by the time its done you’ll be smashing that replay icon with fervent passion, but picking any track at random and shuffling through. The penultimate track, “Disincarnate”, is a minute instrumental whose key riff is composed of no more than seven notes yet, set alongside the sounds of waves breaking on the shore, its utterly haunting and proved more so by the rising goosebumps on my arms. Ego Dissolution is without a doubt my first Album Of The Year contender for 2025 and Ancient Death deserve, and need, to be a band on everyone’s lips and minds. The natural evolution of Death. Simply staggering.
Had my eye on this one for a while now; glad to read that it lives up to the hype!