1. How did the band get started? How did you meet and how long have you been together?

Aphazel: Ancient was originally a solo-project I started in ’92 in Bergen, Norway. After a year or so I invited Grimm, an old friend of mine, to do the vocals and drums and at this point it was kinda like the birth of the band. I made 2 albums with Grimm, and after that he left, I moved to USA and got a new line-up and so forth.

I’ve had a lot of line-up changes in the band, now I am living in Italy and have new line-up here. I am the only original member of the band now.

2. How would you describe your music?

Aphazel: I don’t like very much to label my own music but if I should put a name that I personally find appropriate it would be something like nocturnal, aggressive metal with a lot of atmosphere and melody.

3. What are your biggest influences?

Aphazel: I have been influenced a lot by metal from the early ’80s, the classical metal from bands like old Mercyful Fate, Bathory, old Venom, old Ozzy Osbourne, but I also have gotten much inspiration from bands like Dead Can Dance, Devil Doll and some gothic bands from the ’90s, and of course some from Black Metal from the ’90s.

4. What influence do you think your band has in music and metal today?

Aphazel: It’s not so easy for me to say, but clearly we have inspired and influenced a lot of bands, mostly the younger bands in the scene it seems.

5. What made you want to be in the band? And if you weren't in the band what would you be doing now?

Aphazel: Playing and creating music is really one of the very few things in life that I really enjoy, so it was an obvious choice for me to have my own band. I am fortunate to be able to make a living of my music today and this is very comfortable, that I don’t have to take job that I don’t like and so on. If I didn’t have this band I would probably just be living with my parents in Norway not doing very much except staying at home watching TV, listening to music, using the internet and so on.

6. Are any band members in side projects? If so what are they, and explain a little about them.

Aphazel: Me and Kristin are working on a side-project of atmospheric dark music. We haven’t recorded anything yet, just demos, but we plan to record an album soon.

7. How would you feel if a band took their sound from yours and became very well known?

Aphazel: I wouldn’t have a problem with it, it would be good to see, although I would like to receive some credit for it, like being mentioned in interview as source of inspiration and so on. But, I don’t think a band could be that well know if they just ”copied” others, I’m not sure how you meant it…

8. How many demos/albums do you have? Tell me about them!!

Aphazel: Ancient has released the following:

”Eerily Howling Winds” demo ’93
”Det Glemte Riket” 7 ” ’94
”Svartalvheim” CD ’94
”Trolltaar” MCD ’94
”The Cainian Chronicle” CD ’96
”Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends” CD ’97
”The Halls Of Eternity” CD ’99 (coming in september)

9. What demo/album do you like the best?

Aphazel: Right now I like our new album, ”The Halls Of Eternity” the best, also ”Svartalvheim” I have always liked a lot.

10. What does the future hold for the band?

Aphazel: The new album comes in september, then we will do a lot of touring, we will make a video in september, me and Kristin will work on our solo-project + +

11. Who writes the majority of the music?

Aphazel: I am writing nearly all the music in Ancient, we also have some material from Jesus Christ ! but I am the main songwriter, that’s why the band has kept much of it’s sound through the years, despite all the line-up changes, because the music always comes from me.

12. Who has been the favorite band you've played with and why?

Aphazel: I think the best band I’ve played with is Dark Funeral, they were very good and tight live and they also had a good stage show and presence on stage.

13. Where did you get the band name from?

Aphazel: We decided to call the band Ancient cause everything we are about is ancient, we are ancient, we have ancient souls, there’s no better name for the band than this.

14. Describe what the band is like live?

Aphazel: We are very intense live and we always work on being better live, after the new album I think we will have good stage show with us as well, we have some people in Belgium that are making some very special effects for stage that we will use on tour, but this will be a surprise so you just have to come and see for yourself.

15. If you are gonna do any kind of video what would be in it?

Aphazel: Yes, we are going to make a video for a song called ”The Heritage”, we have a lot of good ideas but we still have to find the right people to work with, so it will be a really good production and not like the videos we made in the past, that I really were not satisfied with. The main problem is always that Metal Blade is very cheap when giving us budgets to work with, and of course this is a big problem for us.

16. Are there any touring plans made; if so tell me about them?

Aphazel: Right now we just have booked a small tour in Italy, just when the album is coming out, and after that we will do a tour in Scandinavia, a full tour in Europe, in USA and other places as well!

17. Where do you think the band will be 20 years from now?

Aphazel: I am quite sure I will still be a musician, but what kind of music I will be making and if I still will be active with Ancient, is mostly depending on our fans and how the band will develop over the years.