Ancestor (Cub) - Hell Fuckin' Metal - Selfreleased - 35:00min

Okay, let’s see…humm…how many times have I faced myself with bands from Cuban lands? Well, if I put myself in the situation to remind someone, I guess right now only the names of ANCESTOR and back in the mid 90’s another one named MEDIUM pops into my head. But well, it is accurate to say that at least ANCESTOR would be my first contact with an exponent of the most fierce and well decorated Black Metal coming out from that Island.
In this record, which is their debut album, they engrave quite clear the main dorsal spine of influences they are inspiring by, influences that comes from very diverse styles but keeping a line traced in the footsteps of Swedish Black Metal bands in the likes of MARDUK (“Those of the Unlight” era), DISSECTION (“The Somberlain” era), NAGLFAR (“Vittra” album) and DARK FUNERAL (their first MCD). Thus means, that melodic leads, heavy Death Metal breaks, subtle keyboard passages, blast beats and neck-breaking German influenced thrash metal segments – and even subtle Heavy Metal ones – are all merged to give shape to the spectrum of sound these guys purvey, always keeping it all integrated into the curtain of power and darkness which make them a worthy exponent of well structured Black Death Metal.
If I should point outstanding remarks in the whole compositional base, I must say their singer gets a very good performance, really diabolical and at the same time filled with utter hate, which doesn’t get out of context even in the very melodic parts. Other guy who excels pretty well, is the guitarist Lord Dakkar, his playing is tight and has really good ideas at the time to unify different styles into one solid own delivering. And perhaps, the aspect I should remark admirably is the sound quality of the whole recording. Contrary to the common thought, seems to be that Cuba, in fact, has very descent studios because the whole thing sounds massive and clear. ANCESTOR isn’t framed into a raw shitty production, they instead, bet for a worthy sound to make clear what their intentions are and to show how good musicians they are. In spite of that, I guess the biggest flaw is the sound of the drums. I say it so because it makes me think they programmed the whole kit because it sounds so thin, so plastic and too clean at times, that is what gives that kind of sensation. Perhaps, I don’t know, they exceeded themselves in the use of “triggers”? Who knows! That only the band can tell. But that’s the element that may not fit in the whole production of the rest of the instrumentation.
In any case, although ANCESTOR does not re-invent absolutely nothing in their musical line, they, at least, have accomplished to provide each one of their songs with enough personality, at sometimes, even better than their mentors, since each song has particular hook ups that are able to seduce you in just matter of seconds, even the short cuts of barely 2 minutes and half are very well structured in shades. The best of these 8 scythes undoubtedly are “Vlad the Impaler”, “Refuse to Denounce” and “The Christian Hunt”.
If ANCESTOR keeps itself working the way they have been doing it up till now and taking care of recording details in the future, it is possible for them to surpass more frontiers. Contact HERE.

By U.Xerxes.H