Pre-Order: Ancient - Halls Of Eternity [Colored Vinyl] [Limited Edition]

Originally released by Metal Blade Records in 1999, Ancient's The Halls of Eternity stands as one of the most expansive and atmospheric albums in the Norwegian black metal band's catalog. More than 25 years later, Brutal Planet Records brings this Metal Blade-era classic back to vinyl in a spectacular new collector's edition limited to only 300 copies worldwide.The Halls of Eternity arrived during a significant period of transition for Ancient. Following the increasingly adventurous direction of The Cainian Chronicle and Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends, the band entered another new chapter, with founding member Aphazel assuming lead vocals in addition to handling guitars, bass, and keyboards.Aphazel is joined by Krigse on drums and Deadly Kristin on female vocals, while former Ancient member Jesus Christ! Makes a special guest appearance on I, Madman, contributing guitar, bass, keyboards, and spoken word.The result is an ambitious album that combines Ancient's black metal foundation with melodic guitar work, sweeping keyboards, acoustic passages, male and female vocals, and lengthy compositions. The songs move between aggression and atmosphere while maintaining the dark, epic character that made Ancient such a distinctive presence in the 1990s black metal scene.This new edition becomes even more significant with the inclusion of a brand-new retrospective written by Aphazel. Looking back on the album more than a quarter-century later, Aphazel describes The Halls of Eternity as a defining crossroads in Ancient's journey.Following the Bloodhunt tour and another period of lineup changes, Aphazel found himself carrying Ancient into it's next incarnation. In his new reflections, he remembers the album as emerging from a period of both uncertainty and renewal-a record that simultaneously reached back toward Ancient's roots while opening the door to another chapter in the band's history.Aphazel also offers a fascinating perspective on the finished album itself. Looking back today, he acknowledges having mixed feelings about aspects of the original recording and how the record ultimately came together, while identifying A Woeful Summoning and The Halls Of Eternity as two of the album's strongest compositions.And there is plenty here to rediscover. The atmospheric instrumental Cast Into The Unfathomed Deeps gives way to Born In Flames and The Battle Of The Ancient Warriors before Ancient moves into the sprawling A Woeful Summoning, Cosmic Exile, and Spiritual Supremacy.The journey continues through The Heritage, I, Madman, and From Behind Comes The Sword before reaching the massive title track, The Halls Of Eternity. The instrumental Arrival brings more than an hour of music to it's conclusion.For this Brutal Planet Records edition, the complete album has been mastered specifically for vinyl and spread across four sides. The two records are housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket featuring lyrics, credits, band photography, and the new retrospective from Aphazel.And then there's the vinyl itself: Spectral Green Smoke Vinyl, chosen to complement the unmistakable green artwork and atmosphere of The Halls of Eternity. The result is a package that looks like it belongs with the album rather than simply being another random colored-vinyl pressing.Only 300 copies are being pressed. For longtime Ancient fans, Metal Blade-era collectors, and devotees of atmospheric and melodic black metal, this is a definitive vinyl presentation of The Halls of Eternity.