CoC : Ancient - Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends : Review

Ancient - _Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends_
(Metal Blade, 1997)
by: Drew Snow (0 out of 10)

I think we all knew that the popularity of Cradle of Filth would create a few copycats and clones in the already poseur-congested domain of black metal, but who would've thought that Norwegian black metal stalwarts Ancient would jump on the vampire bandwagon in the most disgusting, distasteful, shameless, pathetic way possible? After _The Cainian Chronicle_, an album thankfully barren of any references to vampires or dark eroticism, comes _Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends_, a repugnant, flat-out disrespectful and vile attack on any degree of integrity or honesty that might've been remaining in black metal. _MGB_ is a complete and total slap in the face to all metal listeners, insulting their intelligence with CoF-ripoff tracks like "Hecate, My Love and Lust", "Willothewisp", "The Draining" and indeed the entire rest of the album. In fact, when considering its accompaniment, the placement of the Norwegian pride-stroking "Her Northern Majesty" should be considered an affront to Norway, with its nationalistic messages veiled under the guise of shallow musical facsimile. I've never been the biggest backer of Cradle of Filth, but even the questionable image-mongering and merchandising efforts of Supreme Vampiric Ad Campaign look downright cherubic and heartfelt in comparison to the despicable transformation of Ancient. This, fellow music lovers, is the sort of insipid, false -bullshit- that acts only to harm the scene from which it was spawned.

(article published 5/2/1997)

CHATS
8/12/1996	G Filicetti	Ancient: Aphazel's Almighty Ancient

ALBUMS
4/12/2002	A Wee	7	Ancient - Proxima Centauri
7/17/1996	G Filicetti	9	Ancient - The Cainian Chronicle