ancestors - neptune with fire

Whilst these elements are present, they have been melded with the psychedelic and progressive music of the 1970s to produce a concept album which, if you believe the press release, is a two-track odyssey chronicling a metaphorical character’s ‘cosmic, psychological ordeal through war, celebration, remorse and revelation.’ None of this is immediately evident from the first two songs, but then that’s the wonder of poetic licence… and copious amounts of drugs. This album would undoubtedly benefit from some kind of story synopsis in the sleeve notes, but the application of this rough framework does add a new depth to the songs and successfully clarifies the emotions emphasised by the ever changing wall of guitars. Ancestors’ other great success – and this is something Thurston Moore would do well to remember – is that despite the epic nature of the tracks, you are never painfully aware of how long you’ve spent listening to them. There’s a subtle ebb and flow to the songs, with each movement serving a purpose and furthering the story. As with all ‘concept’ albums, the true meaning behind the music will only be fully understood by the people who created it. However, if you can see through the mildly tedious ‘story behind the story’ you’ll quickly realise that this is anything but art for art’s sake; it’s actually theatre set to music.