2026 BRUTAL PLANET RECORDS COLLECTOR'S EDITION
BLOOD SMOKE DOUBLE VINYL
DELUXE 2LP GATEFOLD – LIMITED TO ONLY 300 COPIES!
INCLUDES 12" x 18" COLLECTOR POSTER
BRAND NEW – FACTORY SEALED – NOW SHIPPING!
Artist: Ancient
Album: Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends
Label: Brutal Planet Records
Catalog Number: BPV1721
Format: Double Vinyl LP (2LP)
Vinyl Color: Blood Smoke
Pressing: Limited to 300 Copies
Packaging: Deluxe Gatefold Jacket
Bonus: 12" x 18" Collector Poster
Tracks: 14
Style: Norwegian Black Metal / Melodic Black Metal / Gothic Extreme Metal
Original Release: 1997
Reissue: 2026
Mastering: Mastered for Vinyl by Rob Colwell
Condition: Brand New / Factory Sealed
Status: NOW SHIPPING
Originally released in 1997, Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends remains one of the most ambitious and distinctive albums in the catalog of Norwegian black metal legends ANCIENT. Now this atmospheric black metal classic returns in an extraordinary 2026 Brutal Planet Records Collector's Edition, pressed on Blood Smoke Double Vinyl and limited to just 300 copies worldwide!
By the time Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends arrived, Ancient had already established an international reputation through their earlier albums and their association with Metal Blade Records. Rather than repeat the sound of their previous recordings, the band embraced a darker, increasingly theatrical, and more musically adventurous direction.
The album represents a fascinating evolution in Ancient's sound, blending the aggression of traditional Norwegian black metal with gothic influences, melodic guitar arrangements, atmospheric keyboards, piano, cello, and haunting female vocals.
The recording features founding member Aphazel alongside vocalist and drummer Lord Kaiaphas, multi-instrumentalist Jesus Christ!, and female vocalist Erichte. Their combined performances give the album a character unlike virtually anything else in the Ancient catalog.
Songs such as "A Mad Blood Scenario" and "The Draining" demonstrate the band's dark and aggressive foundations, while "Sleeping Princess of the Arges" and "Her Northern Majesty" introduce more elaborate melodies and a pronounced gothic atmosphere.
The ambitious "The Emerald Tablet" and haunting "Willothewisp" further showcase Ancient's experimental side, incorporating shifting moods, atmospheric passages, and arrangements that move well beyond conventional black metal.
The album also features the band's interpretation of "Black Funeral," originally recorded by legendary Danish heavy metal pioneers Mercyful Fate. Its inclusion connects Ancient's extreme metal sound with the earlier foundations of black metal.
While some black metal bands of the 1990s remained committed to a narrowly defined musical style, Ancient demonstrated an unusual willingness to experiment. Mad Grandiose Bloodfiends is simultaneously aggressive, melodic, theatrical, mysterious, and unpredictable.
For longtime Ancient fans, the album represents an especially memorable period in the band's history, capturing the final studio album with Lord Kaiaphas before the significant lineup changes that would shape 1999's The Halls of Eternity.
For this 2026 Brutal Planet Records Collector's Edition, the complete 14-track album has been mastered specifically for vinyl by Rob Colwell and presented across four sides of stunning Blood Smoke Vinyl.
The deluxe DOUBLE-LP GATEFOLD JACKET restores the album's memorable artwork to the large-format presentation it deserves. An additional 12" x 18" collector poster makes this edition even more appealing to longtime fans and serious vinyl collectors.
Limited to only 300 copies worldwide, this Blood Smoke Double Vinyl edition is a remarkable collector's presentation of one of Ancient's most distinctive albums. BRAND NEW – FACTORY SEALED – NOW SHIPPING!
SIDE A
1. Malkavian Twilight
2. A Mad Blood Scenario
3. The Draining
4. Um Sonho Psycodelico
SIDE B
1. Sleeping Princess of the Arges
2. Her Northern Majesty
3. Blackeyes
SIDE C
1. The Emerald Tablet
2. Willothewisp
3. Neptune
SIDE D
1. 5
2. Hecate, My Love and Lust
3. Vampirize Natasha
4. Black Funeral
Ancient explores intentionally dark, provocative, and occult-themed imagery and lyrics consistent with the traditions of extreme black metal. This release is presented for its musical, historical, and collector significance. Listeners who are sensitive to such themes should purchase accordingly.
Malkavian Twilight / A Mad Blood Scenario / The Draining / Um Sonho Psycodelico / Sleeping Princess of the Arges / Her Northern Majesty / Blackeyes / The Emerald Tablet / Willothewisp / Neptune / 5 / Hecate, My Love and Lust / Vampirize Natasha / Black Funeral
ANCIENT – MAD GRANDIOSE BLOODFIENDS
2026 BRUTAL PLANET RECORDS COLLECTOR'S EDITION
BLOOD SMOKE DOUBLE VINYL
DELUXE GATEFOLD JACKET
12" x 18" COLLECTOR POSTER INCLUDED
14 CLASSIC TRACKS
MASTERED FOR VINYL BY ROB COLWELL
LIMITED TO 300 COPIES
BRAND NEW – FACTORY SEALED!