Ancient Rivalry – What Lives Beneath
Ancient Rivalry – What Lives Beneath
Self-released
Release date: 06/06/26
Review by Oli Gonzalez
7.5/10
First impressions. You only get one chance to make one! My introduction to Ancient Rivalry came during Offal Fest 2025, and by god they made a solid first impression! I recall their faster, more refined approach to extreme metal, one that seamlessly blended the speed of thrash with the ferocity of old school death metal (OSDM). For this reason, they stood out for all the right reasons on a lineup packed with slam and brutal death metal. As such, I was more than happy to get my hands on their upcoming album “What Lives Beneath!”.
The album kicks off with the album’s title track, ‘What Lives Beneath’. No fancy introductions, no punches pulled. The band lay down the gauntlet right from the get-go with a blistering assault on the senses! The thrashy elements I had remembered from that day at Offal Fest seem like a distant memory now. Instead, this has been replaced with a blatantly ferocious brand of OSDM that comes straight for the jugular with dirty jagged razors!
This assault continues into ‘Altars Of The Damned’. Joe and Ben provide a dual guitar assault so dense and impenetrable that no light can escape. Martin provides the sickening heartthrob to the band and joins the ferocious rhythmic foundations laid down by drummer Tom. Alex spearheads the attack with a guttural vocal attack that would make Frank Mullen salute in appreciation. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts here.
We’ve seen some solid death metal releases this year already; Vomitory’s “In Death Throes” and Immolation’s “Descent”, just to name two. But genuinely, Ancient Rivalry can give both a run for their money in terms of production values, with every element getting it’s chance to shine in the mix.
It’s becoming apparent that Ancient Rivalry knows one speed only; this works to the band’s advantage and also detriment. It feels as though the songs begin to lose identity and run the risk of becoming carbon copies of one another, or at least appearing to do so. That’s until we arrive at ‘Siege Eternal’. The band’s guitarists work overtime in supplying the most sadistic yet technical refined riffs, like that of early Cannibal Corpse! This combination of riff mastery and savage brutality is also a signature of ‘Hunger of The Dead’.
The album closes with ‘Breathless Dominion’, one where the band flirts with different tempos from slow and sadistic to breakneck fast, as well as featuring a brief but instantly memorable guitar solo. Demonstrating that the band has the capacity to write in a variety of styles. There’s no doubt that “What Lives Beneath” will appease all fans of OSDM, and any self-respecting fan of the genre should consider this album to be essential listening! Not many debut albums come as empathetic as this!
TRACK LISTING
- What Lives Beneath
- Altars Of The Damned
- Rotted Crown
- Drowned In Eternal Filth
- Siege Eternal
- Sanctified Execution
- Hunger Of The Dead
- Breathless Dominion
LINKS
https://www.facebook.com/p/Ancient-Rivalry-100076057517890/
https://www.instagram.com/ancientrivalry/
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Oli Gonzalez and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
