ancient_rites_history

Translation: ANCIENT RITES

ANCIENT RITES - ...History

Chinese  Version:

……历史

文/Gunther Theys

译/Demogorgon

    从1979年开始活跃在地下，而最终在1988年，最早版本的乐团构思成为现实。ANCIENT RITES（古代的仪式）这个名号被首次用来称呼我们的工作。乐团那时候的鼓手是由和我一道开创ANCIENT RITES的吉它手Philip介绍来的，我从不知道他的名字，他也只待了一段时间。弹贝司的家伙名叫Wattie，后来成了个演出策划，为诸如THE EXPLOITED（受剥削者）、COCKNEY REJECTS（伦敦废品）的乐队组织小型演出。Philip执掌主音吉它而更怪的是我成了ANCIENT RITES早期的吉它手（猜猜看我可是你能想到的最蹩脚的独奏吉它手！）以及歌手。头角刚刚显露但根已经深深扎下。

    在和每个能使件乐器的金属迷一起玩过后，定下了最后的队型，Philip和我偶然遇到了另外两名同样想组乐团的金属乐手，我们把双方各自写的歌曲带到一起就做成了一张单子。队型包括Philip（吉它手）、Johan（吉它）、Stefan（鼓）和我，Gunther，回过头来弹我的老贝司并且继续当歌手；1990年是希望与悲剧的一年；录制了《阴暗祭礼》（Dark Ritual）小样。那些日子是多么的一种成就！没人关心结合玄学/阴暗歌词的金属但慢慢地，我们建立起一批地方性的地下追随者，囊括所有和交叉类型（Crossover），成人摇滚（AOR）以及华丽（Glam）无关的金属同仁；我们在各地免费演出时卖ANCIENT RITES的T恤，用所得支付录音费；我们在一间地下室排练，每次都变成小型地下演出；那时侯鼓手在地下室开了一家小酒吧，那儿的啤酒毫无利润；日日夜夜的金属和淡啤酒，有三十到四十人泡在那儿，他们叫自己“ANCIENT RITES自卫队”，乐团到哪儿他们就到哪儿；在小俱乐部的最早两场大字演出爆满！人们对我们这种音乐依然有兴趣！！！第三场则有着我们并不大在乎的某种竞赛（人们得选出当天他们喜欢的乐团），但出乎意料的是我们赢了！我们应邀出演音乐节并开始获得认可。

    可问题也出现了，鼓手Stephan不得不被换掉；后来他因个人生活问题自杀；悲剧再度袭来；1990年8月31日吉它手Philip在一次车祸中丧生。我失去了我的伙伴还有乐团的共同创立者；时至今日我依然怀念他；Johan离开了乐团，因为他不再和这个概念有什么关联；看上去乐团犹如一艘行将沉没的轮船；可我拒绝屈服，我得对开始的战魂保持忠诚；至少我欠Philip和我自己的就是这个；巡演路上的鼓手助理Walter代替了Stephan，吉它手Bart和Pascal作为新成员加入，ANCIENT RITES继续下去。我们选择更激进的音乐方向而失掉了自己早期的地方乐迷；那时黑暗和死金属还远不流行，我们由此决定创建一个自己的“工作室”，名为Fallen Angel（堕落天使）唱片公司；我们在那自费发了邪恶胜出（Evil Prevails）EP；初版飞快地售罄；渐渐地，我们聚起一批世界范围的地下追随者；甚至首张专辑发行前我们已在密集巡演，这迫使我们解雇吉它手Pascal，他因为得去海军服役而没有时间；作为一个三人组，我们常去不怎么接受黑暗金属的俱乐部和其他场所演出；另一方面我们也成了其他人的开路先锋；我们是在像希腊、葡萄牙、意大利等国演出的首支外国黑暗金属乐团；ANCIENT RITES在恰当的时候到了恰当的地点，甚至像MOONSPELL（还有很多其他乐团）这些更响的名字都为我们开场，我记得CRADLE OF FILTH的成员在伦敦的俱乐部外面排队等着看我们演出；时代的确变了！里斯本市市长和可口可乐发起了葡萄牙第一届大型金属音乐节，ANCIENT RITES被列上头条；我们在大量巡演中看到人们对黑暗/死亡和极端鞭击金属的兴趣与日俱增。

    挪威黑暗金属圈子起事（教室纵火、谋杀）时，我们突然见到黑暗金属获得国际性的小报注意。这也即刻在ANCIENT RITES身上产生了效果。我们的销量增加了，因为我们是和那个圈子有关系的少数几支乐团之一，常搞演出让我们轻而易举地成了靶子。例如BURZUM，MAYHEM和EMPEROR的乐团不演现场是因为入狱或受伤，而像ENSLAVED和DARKTHRONE的组合拒绝小演出。希腊圈子正在发展但那儿的黑暗金属乐团（ROTTING CHRIST，VARATHRON，NECROMANTIA等等），因其隔绝处境而不到海外演出。别处的圈子发展很慢；第一批出去巡演的乐团是SAMAEL，IMPALED NAZARENE，BLASPHEMY和我们。后来ROTTING CHRIST和IMMORTAL也杀上了路，但在早期舞台上ANCIENT RITES恰是替罪羊，也是敌对黑暗金属的乐团最易接近的一个；不只一次我们在台上时，混在人群中隐姓埋名的家伙试图利用往上扔玻璃和燃烧物从生理上伤害我们；安排ANCIENT RITES演出的俱乐部收到给乐团的炸弹威胁和死亡威胁；（来自于宗教组织和有敌黑暗金属思想的人）；实际上，斯堪的那维亚圈子支持ANCIENT RITES，可我们的方法不同，为我们从未参与任何撒旦式的恐怖主义；并非因为害怕而是因为我们倾向于一种标志性的方法；在我们的书里，每个人都有权相信他/她相信的每样事物，只要这些与我们毫不相关的教条观点不被硬塞进我们的喉咙；没有任何形式的教义；我们直至今日仍旧保有这一态度；哪怕我们赞誉一种战士的精神也还是感到比剑更为有利；商店拒绝进ANCIENT RITES的货，我们的演出在打斗中结束。试图辗碎我们的人干得越多我们就越是狂热。

    不幸的是我们不仅仅面对外部的问题，我们自己的工作室也被证实是在彻头彻尾地偷窃，在最终损害了乐团的地位。我们出演爆满的现场但由于发行糟糕至极，人们到处都找不到我们的专辑。大唱片公司发现了圈子并且慢慢地把地下崇拜变成一种大的销售潮流。我们却因为没有一个牛经济人、大工作室或巡演代理在身后支持而保持着颇为地下的位置。我们现实的歌词概念（历史/玄学事实而非幻想）和我们不同的（更宽）音乐手法让我们同黑暗金属圈其余部分割裂开，大工作室觉得难以销售。我们的方法打不动受塑料吸血鬼犬齿和巨大假剑欺骗的十岁孩子们。与此相矛盾的是同样因为这些商业上的“劣势”，我们能够建立起世界范围的追随，包括不想同制造出来的大组合有关系的不满分子和成千上万想要更成人化，更少口号式的方法的人。

    我们的第二张专辑《永远渎神》（Blasphemia Eternal）是在我们签到Mascot（祥瑞）唱片公司后迈进的一步；Mascot也比我们以前在那家公司有更好的名声——原先那家欺骗了每一个（包括彼此）；就在我们第一次欧洲上头条的巡演前吉它手Bart决定结束他的音乐生涯；对于圈子生意一面，甚至统治着我们所谓地下的票子不但失望而且恶心；我们太过寻常的看到我们在巡演或音乐节中的位置因为其他工作室给策划的大笔钞票而换成他们的乐团；看到每个人（工作室、策划、代理）都在我们的工作上赚了钱而我们的银行帐户依然是零（时至今日依然未变！）使他愤怒；Bart离开的决定我们可以理解但感到非常失望，因为时间（在头条的巡演前十天！）而事件发生得那么突然，几乎没给我们留下时间换人。那个带来Bart最终离开消息的灾难性电话后（他在雅典做的最后一场演出），我即刻行动起来打电话给我们接近的乐团吉它手。几位音乐家自愿以一种冲击性的进程学习ANCIENT RITES的歌单并且在巡演各阶段演奏，原因在于没人有能力进行整个儿巡演。这次欧洲巡演的进行就是客串吉它手的更叠（飞机票花掉了我们最后一分钱但至少巡演保住了！）。这也就是为什么荷兰观众看到的队型和意大利观众看到的不一样，西班牙的观众听到和参加葡萄牙或德国等等演出的人们听到的ANCIENT RITES不一样的原因。一场演出中观众甚至看到台上有三位吉它手！感谢Mike（PENTACLE——荷兰），Blakkheim（KATATONIA，DIABOLICAL MASQUERADE——瑞典），Raphael（CRUCIFIRE——比利时），Chris（ABSU，BLOODSTORM——美国）和Erik（INGUISITOR——荷兰）。

    有一年时间，我们同临时吉它手一道战斗，也决定在现场使用一名键盘手，最后到了某一刻，永久队型完成，新材料也写好了。Jan，“Orkki”Yrlund（前LACRIMOSA，前TWO WITCHES，前PRESTIGE——荷兰）和Erik Sprooten（前INGUISITOR）负责吉它，Walter Van Cortenberg打鼓，Oliver Phillips（临时，EVERON——德国）演奏键盘还有我负责贝司/人声，第三张ANCIENT RITES专辑《父土》（Fatherland）录制完成。这张专辑是一次大的冒险，因为尽管乐团本质未动，展示出的却是一种清晰的音乐/歌词进展。它是一个标志性的新开始。而此前我们也从未自媒体和公众两方面获得如此好的反馈。《父土》被一些主要金属媒体评为“月度专辑”。在像Dynamo Open Air，Graspop和Fi-esta Du Rock这样的大型音乐节上露面当然也对乐团的身份有益。从我们旧排练厅的地下室到最大的金属音乐节的主台是多么漫长的旅程啊。根本没靠任何人的帮助，招贴上的位置不是被什么工作室或经济人买来的，靠的是密集巡演和在圈中树起的赫赫名声。

    与此同时，ANCIENT RITES获得了普遍聚集起的反对我们的新力量。过去注目于我们乐团的是宗教狂热分子而今日的抵制则是一种政治性的。有人想象我们在歌词中培育一种古代和中世纪文明的达成是一种威胁并且将其译作一种政治上不正确的动向。突然间俱乐部拒绝安排乐团，青年俱乐部因组织ANCIENT RITES演出而被当地地方拒发补贴。特别有一场演出，青年中心只有在雇佣警犬作为附加保安后才被允许安排ANCIENT RITES，以为据推测会有伊斯兰移民就台上的中世纪欧洲旗帜和我们对穆斯林原教旨主义标志性的批评而发动袭击……并没有认识到不容异己才是威胁，来自官方的抵制反加到了乐团身上，我们再度因所谓的极端主义而受到指责。过去国家安全局曾出钱给我们去参观宗教恐怖主义中ANCIENT RITES的地位的研究（我们对此十分清楚！）现在指控成了政治性的。由于我们在黑暗金属中的地位是一支总对宗教和政治观点宽容的乐团，尤其是和圈中公开宣扬他们的根源与宗教是唯一好的一个的很多其他乐团相比，这十分不公。常可见到北方乐团反对其他所有类型的文化，而与之相反，ANCIENT RITES一直称赞其他文化和他们的功绩，只要有着对等的欣赏（验证“Mother Europe（母亲欧洲）”的歌词就能看到所有国家的历史都受到了赞颂）。的确，培养自己的根也会欣赏其他文化，关心四面的联合而非让我们彼此隔绝。ANCIENT RITES转变成了一个泛欧洲的组合；在《父土》中间，来自芬兰、德国、荷兰和佛兰德的音乐人促成我们在维系多元化的同时联合一体的标志性要求。我参与的另一计划DANSE MACEBRE（可怕的舞蹈）包括甚至更多的民族（南斯拉夫、希腊、奥地利、荷兰、佛莱芒、德国）明显证明了那些歇斯底里（就像我只赞美我们自己的国土）的错误，但不管这些事实，抵制仍在继续。所有乐团中ANCIENT RITES总是特别处在“高炮”炮口真的相当古怪。而我们的方法总是专据并远离教条/专横。

    2000年我们离开Mascot签到了荷兰的Hammerheart（锤心）唱片公司。由于Mascot工作室政见的变化，我们觉得乐团在这家工作室已经没有成长的任何可能。一切都是在前者和新工作室，Hammerheart的联合操作下友好完成的。去Hammerheart的选择显而显见；它是成长最快的黑暗/死亡金属唱片公司之一，我们被说服他们会为我们带来我们所值得的所有注意和宣传。新唱片《朦胧的卡可萨》（Dim Carcosa）已经录制并将于2001年5月底发行。你能在这个网穴找到一些录音室在线报道。来自圈内人的初步反响是令人瞠目结舌的，一些人说这将成为我们的一次重大突破……

    那么我的朋友们，这引领着我们到了现在。依然面临内外问题、抵制和指控。大工作室叩着门来提供合同但同时在很多地方被禁。一直朝着我们的矛盾反应使得战斗更为艰难，典型的ANCIENT RITES……虽然如此，我不想失去过去的疯狂与混乱的十年中的每一天。因为有了ANCIENT RITES我才能周游世界并且找到很多分享我的趣味（不只是在音乐上）的人。那么多的个体以这样或者那样的方式为ANCIENT RITES传奇做着贡献。十年是很长的一段时间，仍然像唐•吉柯德在和风车作战但没人能从这持续的战斗中让我们止步。十年后我乐于借此机会感谢每一个人，包括那些总是喜欢和支持我们的也包括那些仇恨和阴谋破坏ANCIENT RITES的人，因为两个群体的过去和现在（当然是以不同的方式）为我们的发动机加油，一种持续的感召。这个世界还没有除掉我们！永远向往古代的王国。

English  Version:

...History

by Gunther Theys

After being active in many underground acts since 1979 finally in 1988 a very early version of the band was achieved. For the first time the monicker ANCIENT RITES was used to refer to our work. The band consisted of a drummer whose name I never knew since it was a guy introduced to me by guitarist PHILIP with whom I started ANCIENT RITES. The drummer only remained for a short while. On bass there was a bloke called WATTIE who later became a gig promoter who organised gigs for bands such as THE EXPLOITED, COCKNEY REJECTS etc. PHILIP took care of lead guitars and strangely enough in the early version of A.R. I became guitarist (guess I was the lousiest solo guitarist one could possibly imagine!) and vocalist. All was in a very early stage but the root was planted.

After playing together with every metalhead who could handle an instrument finally a defenitive line up was achieved when PHILIP and I ran into two other Metal musicians who also wanted to complete a band. We brought together the songs we had writen with both bands separately and a setlist was composed this way. The line up consisted of PHILIP (guitars), JOHAN (guitars), STEFAN (drums) and I, GUNTHER who returned to the old bass and continued as vocalist. 1990 was a year of hope and tragedy. The "DARK RITUAL" demo was recorded. Quite an achievement back in those days! No one cared for Metal connected with Occult/Dark lyrics but slowly we build up a local underground following consisting of all Metallers who did not relate to crossover, AOR or glam. The recordings we payed by selling A.R. T-shirts we sold at free gigs we played all over the region. We rehearsed at a cellar and those rehearsals turned each time into minor underground gigs. At a certain time the drummer opened a small bar in the rehearsal cellar where beers were sold on a non profit basis. Days and nights of Metal and lager and 30-40 people hanging around calling themselves the A.R. DEATH MILITIA who followed the band everywhere. The first two official headline gigs which took place in small clubs sold out! There was still an interest for our kind of music!!! The third gig we played was some kind of a contest we did not care for (people had to chose their fave band of the day) but strangely enough we won the contest! We were invited to play on a Metal festival and started to gain recognition.

Problems did rise though and drummer STEPHAN had to be replaced. He committed suicide later on because of problems in his personal life. Tragedy did strike again: on the 31st of august 1990 guitarist PHILIP died in a car accident. I lost my companion and co founder of the band. Miss him to this very day. JOHAN left the band since he could not relate to the concept any longer. It looked like the band was like a sinking ship. However I refused to give in, I had to remain loyal to the fighting spirit of the beginning. At least I owed it to PHILIP and to myself. A.R. continued with drumroadie WALTER who replaced STEFAN, guitarist BART and guitarist PASCAL as new members. A more radical musical course was picked which costed us early local fans but we gained fans all over the world instead. Black and Death Metal were far from being popular those days so we decided to create an own "label" called FALLEN ANGEL RECORDS on which we released the self financed "EVIL PREVAILS" ep. The first pressings sold out rapidly. Slowly we build up a worldwide underground following. Even before our debut was released we toured Europe intensively which forced us to fire guitarist PASCAL who suffered from a lack of time because he had obligations in the Navy. As a trio we were often playing in clubs and places were Black Metal were badly accepted. On the other hand our pioneering work opened roads for others. We were the first foreign B.M. band to play in countries such as Hellas, Portugal, Italy. A.R. were at the right time at the right place, even big names such as MOONSPELL (amongst many others) opened for us and I remember the members of CRADLE OF FILTH waiting in a cue outside the club to see us play at London. Different times indeed! The mayor of Lisbon and Coca Cola sponsored the first big Metal fest in Portugal were A.R. were booked as headliners. We toured a lot and saw the interest in Black/Death and extreme Thrash Metal increase again.

When the events in the Norwegian B.M. scene happened (church burnings, killings) we suddenly saw Black Metal gaining attention from the international gutter press. This suddenly had an effect on A.R. as well. Our sales increased and since we were one of the very few bands linked to that scene who often were playing gigs it made us an easy target. Bands such as BURZUM, MAYHEM or EMPEROR did not perform live because of imprisonments and casualties, acts such as ENSLAVED or DARKTHRONE refused to play gigs. The Hellenic scene was developing but also B.M. bands there (ROTTING CHRIST, VARATHRON, NECROMANTIA etc) did not play abroad yet because of their isolated position. Elsewhere the scenes where slowly developing. First bands to go out on tour where the likes of SAMAEL, IMPALED NAZARENE, BLASPHEMY and us. Later ROTTING CHRIST and IMMORTAL hit the road. But at this early stage A.R. were the perfect scapegoats and the easiest to reach for the anti B.M. brigade. It happened more than once that icognito people hidden in the crowd try to harm us physically by throwing glasses or burning projectiles while we were on stage. Clubs that booked A.R. received bomb threats and death threats (coming from religious organisations and anti B.M. minded people) reached the band. Indeed the Scandinavian scene supported A.R. but our approach was different since we never participated in any satanic terrorism. Not out of fear but simply because we prefered a symbolic approach. In our book everyone was entitled to believe in whatever he/she wanted as long as dogmatic views we could not relate to were not forced down our throats. No dogmas of any kind: an attitude we hold on to this very day. Although we praise a warrior spirit we always felt the pen to be mightier than the sword. Stores refused to stock A.R. and our gigs ended in fights. The more everyone was trying to grind us down the more fanatic we became.

Unfortunately we were not only facing external problems also our own label proved to be a total rip off and this defenitely harmed the bands position. We played sold out gigs but no one could find our albums anywhere due to bad distribution. Big record companies discovered the scene and slowly turned the underground cult into a major selling trend. Our position remained rather underground since we never had any big manager, major label or tour agencies behind us to push to band. Our realistic lyrical concept (historical/occult FACTS instead of fiction) and our different (wider) musical approach which seperated us from the rest of the B.M. scene the major labels found difficult to sell. Our approach did not appeal to 10 year olds who fell for plastic vampire teeth or huge fake swords. Contradictory exactly because of these very same commercial "disadvantages" we were able to build up a worldwide following consisting of malcontents who could not relate to the manufactured major acts, thousands who wanted a more adult, less sloganesque approach.

"BLASFEMIA ETERNAL" our second album was a step forward since we signed to MASCOT RECORDS a label with a better reputation than our former one, who ripped everyone (including each other) off. Just before our first European headline tour guitarist BART decided to end his music career: disappointed and disgusted with the business aspect of the scene, the Dollarsign even ruling our so called underground. Too often we saw our position on festivals or tours bought away by labels who payed tons of money to the promoters for their bands to replace us. It made him furious to see everyone (labels, promoters, agencies) gaining cash on our work while our bank account remained on zero (a position which hasn't changed to this very day!). BART's departure was a decision we could understand but we felt very disappointed because of the timing (ten days before the headline tour!) and the fact it happened so sudden, almost leaving us no time to search for a replacement. After the desastrous phone call which brought the news of BART's final departure (he played his final concert in Athens!) I immediately went into action and phoned to guitarists of bands we were close with. Several musicians volunteered to study the A.R. setlist in a crash course and to play parts of the tour since none were capable of playing the entire tour. The Euro tour was a constant coming and going of guest guitarists (which costed our last penny on plane tickets but at least the tour was saved!). This is why the audience in Holland saw a different line up than the audience in Italy, or the Spanish public heard a different A.. than the people who attented the gigs in Portugal or Germany etc. At one gig the audience even saw three guitarists appearing on stage! Gratitude to MIKE (PENTACLE -Holland) Blakkheim (KATATONIA, DIABOLICAL MASQUERADE -Sweden), RAPHAEL (CRUCIFIRE -Belgium), CHRIS (ABSU/BLOODSTORM, USA) and ERIK (INQUISITOR, Holland).

For one year we battled on with session guitarists and decided to use a keyboardplayer in live situations as well. At a certain point finally a permanent line up was achieved and new material was written. With JAN "ÖRKKI" YRLUND (ex-LACRIMOSA/ex-TWO WITCHES/ex-PRESTIGE, Finland) and ERIK SPROOTEN (ex-INQUISITOR, Holland) on guitars, WALTER VAN CORTENBERG on drums, OLIVER PHILLIPS (session, EVERON, Germany) on keyboards and myself on bass/vocals the third A.R. album "FATHERLAND" was recorded. The album was a big risk since it showed a clear musical/lyrical progression although the essence of the band remained the same. It was a symbolic new start. Never before we achieved such a tremendous response from both press and public. "FATHERLAND" was voted "album of the month" in several major Metal publications. Appearances on mega festivals such as DYNAMO OPEN AIR, GRASPOP and FIESTA DU ROCK certainly contributed to the band status. What a long way to travel from the basement of our old rehearsal room to the major stages of the biggest Metal fests. All without help from anyone, the place on the bill was not bought by any label or manager but earned by intensive touring and building up a name in the scene.

While at the same time A.R. gained popularity new forces were gathering against us. While in the past religious fanatics focussed on our band today the boycotts are of a political kind. Certain people conceive it as a threat that in our lyrics we cultivate the achievements of Ancient and Medieval civilizations and translate it as a political incorrect move. Suddenly clubs refused to book the band and youth clubs were refused subsidies by the local authorities because they organised A.R. gigs At one particular show the youth center was allowed to book A.R. ONLY when extra security with guard dogs were hired because attacks from Islamic immigrants were expected because of the medieval European flags on stage and because of our symbolic criticism on Moslim fundamentalism.. Instead of recognizing the intolerant as a threat the boycotts from the authorities were focussed on the band itself, again us being blamed for so called extremism. In the past state security payed us a visit to investigate about A.R.'s place in religious terrorism (of which we were cleared!) now the accusations were of a political kind. Rather unfair since our position within the B.M. scene as a band always was a tolerant one from both religious and political point of views, specially compared to many other bands in the scene who openly propagate their roots and religion to be the only good one. It is often seen that Northern bands are opposed to any other form of culture while on the contrary A.R. always respected other cultures and their achievements as long as mutual respect is shown (check out the lyrics of "Mother Europe" and one can see that every countries history is praised). Indeed cultivating the own roots but respecting the other, concentrating on what unites the North and South, East and West instead of what divides us all. A.R. turned into a transEuropean act and on "FATHERLAND" musicians from Finland, Germany, Holland and Flanders contributed to symbolize our quest for unity while at the same time preserving diversity. The other project DANSE MACABRE I participate in containing even more nationalities (Serbian, Hellenic, Austrian, Dutch, Flemish, German) obviously proved the hysterics (like if we would only appreciate our own land) wrong but despite these facts the boycotts continue. Always found it rather peculiar that of all bands specially A.R. always was under "flak" while our approach always was rather diplomatic and far from dogmatic/despotic.

In the year 2000 we left Mascot Records and signed to the Dutch Hammerheart label. Due to the changed label politics of Mascotl, we felt there were no more chances left for the band to grow on this label. Everything has happened in a friendly co-operation between the former and the new label, Hammerheart. The choice for Hammerheart was obvious: it is one of the fastest growing black/death metal record companies and we are convinced they will get us all the attention and promotion we deserve. The new record "Dim Carcosa" has been recorded and will be released at the end of May 2001. You can find a studioreport online at this webcave. The first reactions from insiders are stunning, some say this will be our big breakthrough...

So my friends, this leads us to the present. Still dealing with internal and external problems, boycotts and accusations. Major labels knocking on our door offering contracts while at the same time being banned from many places . Contradictive reactions towards us all the time making the battle more hard, typical A.R.. Nevertheless I wouldn't have wanted to miss one single day in these past ten years of madness and chaos. Because of A.R. I was able to travel the world and find many interesting people sharing my interests (not only musical). So many individuals one way or another contributed to the A.R. saga. Ten years is a long time, still fighting windmills like in the tale of Don Quichotte but no one can prevent us from continueing the battle. After these ten years I would like to take this opportunity to thank EVERYONE, including those who always appreciated and supported us but also those who hated and sabotaged ANCIENT RITES because both groups were and are (in a different way of course) fuel to our motor, an inspiration to carry on. The world is not rid of us yet! Forever Longing for the Ancient Kingdom.