Ancient ceremonia

The musical group Ancient Ceremony was formed in 1991 by Chris Anderle and FJ Krebs with the aim of combining extreme metal with gloomy passages that evoke horror . ^[1] In the same year, guitarist Dirk Wirtz and drummer Krsiof Mertes joined the band since 1993, after his main band Deformed broke up, becoming a regular member of Ancient Ceremony . In addition to them, after lengthy searches, bassist Frank Simon appeared in the band. A similar lineup in 1993 recorded a demo of Where Serpents Reign . Before that, however, the group had already given concerts: in June 1992, she managed to play with In Flames , Absu and Impaled Nazarene . ^[2] In February 1994, the Ancient Ceremony recorded EP Cemetery Visions , published in a circulation of 500 copies. Initially, the release was distributed only through members of the group, but subsequently the label Alister Records took up it. In 1996, the band entered into an agreement with Cacophonous Records (the proposal was received from the label), on which the debut full-length album Under Moonlight We Kiss was released in the fall of 1997.

In June 1998, one of the co-founders FJ Krebs and Dirk Wirtz left the band. Their place in April of the same year was taken by Patrick Mayer and Mark Barbian. In May, recording of the upcoming album begins. Cynthia Fallmann and Erna Siikavirta performed as female vocalists. The release of the album is planned for October, but then is postponed to December. At the same time, in September, for personal reasons, the band left guitarist Mark Barbian, drummer Christoph Mertes and keyboardist Stefan Muller. Finally, at the end of November, at the Danse Macabre studio, led by Brunno Kramma, the mixing of the album was completed and in February 1999 the second album Fallen Angel's Symphony was released . The music of the album was sustained in the direction of symphonic black metal with lyrics on the themes of Satanism and the occult. In January 2000, the Ancient Ceremony left Cacophonous Records .

February 2000 is marked by a fire at the rehearsal base of the co-operative, as a result of which the drum kit and other musical equipment were destroyed. According to the statements of law enforcement agencies, most likely the fire occurred due to someone's carelessness, but arson was not excluded. ^[2] Nevertheless, in the future, the group actively gives concerts and plays in March at the Metal Clash Festiva IV and God is Dead Festival , in June at the Brno Rock Fest in the Czech Republic, where their performance was interrupted due to reports of a possible explosion. ^[2]

Chris Anderle cites literary works by Alistair Crowley, Friedrich Nietzsche, Marquise de Sade, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, George Byron, Charles Baudelaire and some occult, satanic and magical writings as his sources of inspiration for writing the lyric component of musical compositions. ^[2] In addition, Chris also mentions works of cinema: the Omen trilogy, Devil's Advocate , Interview with the vampire , various adaptations of Dracula and other horror films.

• 1993 - Where Serpents Reign (demo)
• 1994 - Cemetary Visions (EP)
• 1997 - Under Moonlight We Kiss
• 1999 - Fallen Angel's Symphony
• 2000 - Synagoga Diabolica
• 2002 - The Third Testament
• 2005 - P.uritan's B.lasphemy C.all (EP)

• Ancient Ceremony on Rate Your Music
• Ancient Ceremony on Discogs