Release date: 8/30/2024
Origin: Vancouver, Canada
Personnel: Kenny Cook-vox/guitar, Brock MacInnes-guitar, Rory O’Brien-bass, Mike Hannay-drums
Congratulations to Anciients for winning the Golden Flip Flop for 2024! Damn, this was one hell of an album and one hell of a surprise. I honestly kind of thought that we might have lost Anciients after the pandemic. But, lucky for us, the dudes just hunkered down and created this absolute monster of a masterpiece. I think this album is kind of a testament of a band taking some time to really craft a perfect album. There is zero fat on this thing and every single song contributes to the whole thing being perfect. For the uninitiated, Anciients kind of traverses the same sonic ground as Mastodon. This is a hard driving classic full of amazing guitar work.
Well, that’s it again. Thanks again for playing along and indulging me. Here’s to hoping everything doesn’t go to complete shit in 2025 (even though it probably will). If I’m still here at the end of next year, let’s do this damn thing again. Cheers!
5 flip flops out of 5
The final list:
1. Anciients-Beyond the Reach of the Sun
2. Dvne-Voidkind
3. Mr. Bison-Echoes From the Universe
4. Opeth-The Last Will and Testament
5. Lord Dying-Clandestine Transcendence
6. Horseburner-Voice of Storms
7. Gatecreeper-Dark Superstition
8. Kerry King-From Hell I Rise
9. Evergrey-Theories of Emptiness
10. Oceans of Slumber-Where Gods Fear To Speak
11. Haunting-Stare At Nothing
12. Blood Incantation-Absolute Elsewhere
13. Huntsmen-The Dry Land
14. God Is An Astronaut-Embers
15. Alcest-Les Chants de l’Aurore
16. The Cure-Songs of a Lost World
17. LizZard-Mesh
18. Fu Manchu-The Return of Tomorrow
19. Borknagar-Fall
20. Crypt Sermon-The Stygian Rose
DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID 