Today, GuitarWorld.com brings you the exclusive premiere of a new song by Canadian rockers Anciients. The song, "Faith and Oath," is from their upcoming debut album, Heart Of Oak, which will be released April 16 via Season Of Mist.
Vancouver-based Anciients combine elements of rock and metal and add a distinctive dark vibe. The band includes Kenneth Paul Cook (guitar, vocals), Chris Dyck (guitar, vocals), Aaron "Boon" Gustafson (bass) and Mikey Hannay (drums).
"'Faith and Oath' began lyrically with some combo ideas about the Mayans' serpent-god beliefs and a strange dream I had about a snake-killing ritual," Dyck says. "The serpent originally was representing the deceiver; as the song progressed and the vibe was realized, it became our anthem for courage and strength.
"The chorus features Scott Ruddy from Weirding (a killer doomy Vancouver band) on vocals with me. The proggy fast riff is what I like to call a "ninja riff" ... looks hard, easy to play. Kenny's solo here is mental and I love how Hannay and Boon shift the timing on the last two repetitions of the solo riff to a swinging old 3/4 beat. The outro has Kenny laying down some sweet Dave Gilmour. We all dig Pink Floyd. Gilmour is the man."
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
