Ancient Settlers is no ordinary band. The musicians, all of Venezuelan descent (albeit spread across Portugal, Spain and France), came together in 2020 in San Sebastian, Spain before recruiting Finnish-born Antony Hamalalinen (Nightrage; Armageddon) to bring his distinctive vocal style to the band. Since then, and not letting anything as mundane as a global pandemic slow them down, Ancient Settlers have completed an EP (2021’s critically acclaimed Autumnus) and a full-length album, Our Last Eclipse: The Settlers Saga Pt. 1. Tracked with the legendary, Grammy award winning Fredrik Nordstrom (At The Gates; Dark Tranquillity; Bring Me The Horizon), the album is a blistering work that, while taking influence from such scene legends as At The Gates and Soilwork, sees the band put their own spin on proceedings.
Last Eclipse opens with the thrash-infused fury of Into The Depths I Ride, which snaps into focus with a punky vigour reminiscent of Exodus. With Rene Gonzalez’s keyboards adding a melodic touch to the full-pelt delivery, Into The Depths I Ride benefits from the twin guitar assault of Carlos Chiese-Estomba (lead) and Emmy Reyes, and it makes for an impressive opener. Next up, stuttering synths lead the charge into the crushing Cast In Gold, a track that neatly juxtaposes harmonised lead with the huge, flaming riffs typically favoured by the likes of Soilwork. However, it’s the follow up, the doom-laden, mid-tempo Our Last Eclipse that truly steals the show, the band indulging hulking great riffs that pack considerable weight, before allowing the piece to expand outwards, buoyed by Rene’s effervescent synths. That same ethereal sense can be found at the start of Cerements, although the disarmingly airy intro soon gives way to a much darker core, not least because, while the band’s stated influences sit comfortably in melodeath territory, Anthony’s vocal approach is closer to that of hardcore. This gives the tracks a rougher, edgier feel that separates the band from their peers. The first half of the album ends with the stair-stepping guitars of Jotnar Magick, a track that sees the band perform a stylistic volte face at the conclusion, bringing the first half to a close on a surprisingly progressive trip.
Opening the second side (and this really feels like an album crafted with vinyl in mind), Library Of Tears pinches John Carpenter’s cinematic synth tones, only for the band to tear through with some seriously heavy riffing. With that hardcore vibe very much in evidence, there is nevertheless a strong emotional core to Library Of tears, and it stands as a strong contender for album highlight. The vibrant Silent December is a sure-fire mosh-pit killer, with an early In Flames vibe, before the gang chants of Memories offers up a fists-in-the-air moment that will surely slay when the band hit the stage. Vibrant and violent, Memories has a real groove to it, and it keeps the album moving forward with purpose. Things slow a touch as the atmospheric intro to The Black Rainbow sees acoustic guitars deployed. It soon picks up the pace, however, and Anthony’s vocals are particularly effective here, split between a deathly roar and a Rollins rasp that brings both emotion and energy to the mix. It leaves the rampant fury of Peregrination to see the album out, leaving the listener very much in anticipation of part II.
For fans of melodeath, Last Eclipse: The Settlers Saga Pt. 1. is a strong album. The band are skilled musicians and they’ve worked with an impressive team to ensure everything from the production to the artwork is top notch. While the album as a whole is impressive, it can be, perhaps, a little too in thrall to its influences at times; but Anthony’s edgy delivery helps to give the band their own identity and it will be interesting to see how Ancient Settlers develop on the next outing. 8/10
