ANCIENT – Back To The Land Of The Dead Mastered; Cover Art Revealed

Norwegian black metal titans Ancient, who recently signed a global deal with Alpha Omega Management, are set to release their new album Back To The Land Of The Dead in February 2016. Ancient features Zel (aka Aphazel) on vocals/guitars/keyboards, Dhilorz on guitars/bass and Nick Barker on drums, and just recently the band announced Ghiulz Borroni, esteemed shredder of extreme metal scene and lead guitarist of the legendary cult band Bulldozer, to be the band’s live session guitarist.

The frontman Zel comments:

“Finally, the album is ready!! The new album of Ancient, Back To The Land Of The Dead, was mastered today by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios in Finland. So, the album is 100% ready now. We will launch news about release date, label, teaser, new video, tour dates etc etc. in about 2 weeks from now.”

Mika Jussila, from Finnvox Studios adds:

“FUCKING hell it’s going to be an awesome album! What a Blast! I love this. Have now listened thru all the tracks.”

On the album front cover Zel comments:

“The cover shows a hooded figure standing in a passage. He has been away a long time, and is now returning from his journey. The place is crowded with people that are now some kind of “spiritual zombies”, he has come back to the place he was born, to “wake them up”, and he thinks of this place as the “land of the (spiritual) dead “. This is actually what we are doing, in a way.”

The tracklisting is as follows :

“Born In The Land Of The Dead” (Music by Dhilorz, lyrics by Dhilorz and Zel)     
“Beyond The Blood Moon” (Music and lyrics by Zel)            
“The Sempiternal Haze” (Music by Dhilorz, lyrics by Zel)                 
“The Empyrean Sword” (Music by Dhilorz, lyrics by Zel)                                          
“The Ancient Disarray” (Music and lyrics by Zel)                              
“Occlude The Gates” (Music by Dhilorz, lyrics by Zel)                                  

The Excruciating Journey:
“Part I – Defiance And Rage” (Music by Dhilorz, lyrics by Zel)
“Part II – The Prodigal Years” (Music by Dhilorz, lyrics by Zel)
“Part III – The Awakening” (Music by Dhilorz, lyrics by Zel)   
“Death Will Die” (Music and lyrics by Zel)    
“The Spiral” (Music and lyrics by Zel)                                   
“Petrified By Their End” (Music by Dhilorz and Zel, lyrics by Zel)

Bonus track:
“13 Candles” (Music and lyrics by Quorthon)

More news regarding cover art, teaser etc. will be posted in the next weeks.