Little is known about Ancient Burial. The line-up is anonymous, though rumor has it that it may include members of other better-known formations, and their unearthly renderings of raw black metal would draw comparisons to the music of the Portuguese Black Circle (whose bands we’ve paid significant attention to over the years). Perhaps more will be revealed in time, but for now what we have — or rather, will have on May 1st via the Signal Rex label — is Ancient Burial‘s debut album Beyond the Watchtowers.

Below you’ll find streams of the first two tracks revealed from the album, one that has been previously disclosed and one that we’re premiering today. Neither of them will have mass appeal. Both of them are sadistically abrasive and well-calculated to create sensations of terror and devastation, of infernal possession, and of other-dimensional eeriness and mortal threat. They are also perversely enthralling, capable of plunging at least some listeners into the same wicked state of possession and violent trance that seems to have overcome the performers. Other listeners will cower in corners or run for the hills Continue reading »