JESS AND THE ANCIENT ONES — Jess and the Ancient Ones (review)

JESS AND THE ANCIENT ONES — Jess and the Ancient Ones album cover Album · 2012 · Hard Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Time Signature
Ghost riders...

Genre: progressive hard rock

It is an age in which rock music is being rediscovered, and artists look back at the rock scenes of the 80s and 70s for inspiration. Perhaps it is a reaction against contemporary mainstream "culture" which seems to reach a new low virtually every day in the form of some lame reality TV show or a new manufactured plastic pop star. Whatever it is, the implementation of 70s and 80s rock elements into present day rock and metal music is definitely something I appreciate.

Take Jess and the Ancient Ones who, on their eponymous debut combine metal-edged hard rock with the psychedelia and progressive spirit of the 70s. And, I must say, it works pretty well. With a fuzzy guitar distortion and a central organ (perhaps a Hammond or perhaps a digital emulation thereof), there is no doubt that Jess and her band members deliberately draw on 70s psychedelic and progressive rock. The big fat drums have more of an early 80s rock sound to them, and Jess' vocals and the distorted bass have a more contemporary feel to them, but it all goes together quite well.

The opening track 'Prayer' is an uptempo rocker, featuring blues-rock guitar solos and a "Born To Be Wild"-esque guitar riffs, while both 'Sulphur Giants' and 'Ghost Riders' are progressive epics featuring Iron Maiden-like twin guitar leads, chucking guitar riffs, and galloping bass figures as well as progressive melodic intros. Less progressive, 'Twilight Witchcraft' also features twin guitars, while '13th Breath of the Zodiac' is more of an 80s metal/hardrock affair performed with a 70s-oriented mindset. 'Devil (in G Minor)' succeeds where Guns 'n' Roses failed miserably with 'Dust N Bones', and 'Come Crimson Death' is a dark ballad.

Definitely an album that reminds us that hard rock can also be progressive and psychedelic, Jess and the Ancient Ones' debut album is interesting and both multifaceted and focused. If you like your hard rock psychedelic, check out this Finnish band.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Human Rosin Melodic Metalcore
HATE BREEDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Through The Hell Hardcore Punk
ENEMY 906
Buy this album from MMA partners
Lightmatter: Rebirth Deathcore
EARTHGAZER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Eye Of Horus (Lightmatter EP Pt. 2) Deathcore
EARTHGAZER
Buy this album from MMA partners
Galaxy888 (Lightmatter EP Pt. 1) Deathcore
EARTHGAZER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Agremorta - Adrocitas (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 3 days ago
Agremorta - Ploratus Umbra (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 3 days ago
Agremorta - Vertex Membrana (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 3 days ago
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR - The Temple Of Curved Space (Official Track Stream)
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR
adg211288· 3 days ago
In Sulfur - The Gate (OFFICIAL VIDEO) 2022
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 4 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed