Ancient Rites

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Belgian black metal band

title: "Ancient Rites" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["belgian-heavy-metal-musical-groups", "belgian-black-metal-musical-groups", "viking-metal-musical-groups", "musical-groups-established-in-1988", "belgian-musical-quintets", "season-of-mist-artists", "english-language-belgian-musical-groups"] description: "Belgian black metal band" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rites" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Belgian black metal band ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

Field	Value
name	Ancient Rites
image	Ancient Rites logo.jpg
origin	Diest, Belgium
genre	Black metal
years_active	1988–present
label	Season of Mist, Massacre
associated_acts	Iron Clad, Lion's Pride
website
current_members	Gunther Theys
Erik Sprooten
Jory Hogeveen
Patrick Mallo
John Berry
past_members	Walter van Cortenberg (RIP)
Davy Wouters
Bart Vandereycken
Johan
Philip
Stefan
Domingo Smets
Oliver Phillips
::

Ancient Rites is a Belgian black metal band formed in 1988. Initially, the lineup consisted of guitar players Johan and Phillip, drummer Stefan, and Gunther Theys on bass and vocals. In 1990 the Dark Ritual demo was released in the underground scene, getting worldwide attention just as black metal was gaining importance in the metal scene. Soon after the release of this demo Phillip died in a car crash and not long after, Stefan committed suicide. However painful this episode was to the band, they decided to continue and Stefan's position was taken by his drum roadie Walter van Cortenberg.

As Johan then decided to leave the music scene, the band found replacements for both him and Phillip in guitar players Pascal and Bart Vandereycken. This line-up would go on to release the Evil Prevails EP and several others through various record labels. Pascal was eventually fired for lack of dedication due to his obligations to the Belgian Navy, which reduced the band to a trio. In 1994 their first full-length album was released entitled The Diabolic Serenades. This line-up would also record the band's second album Blasfemia Eternal before in May 1996, just after its release, Bart left the band.

Flemish and non-Flemish musicians stepped in to help out the band on several tours in support of the album, which eventually led the once strongly Flemish rooted band to become an international act with the addition of Dutch guitar player Erik Sprooten (ex-Inquisitor) later that same year and Finnish guitar player Jan "Örkki" Yrlund (ex-Lacrimosa) in mid-1997. Shortly after the release of their third album Fatherland a keyboard player was found in Domingo Smets (ex-Agathocles). This line-up would record Dim Carcosa, before Smets left the band in 2002 and a replacement was found in Davy Wouters (ex-Oblivion, Danse Macabre). This line-up can be seen on the live album/DVD And the Hordes Stood as One.

While on tour in support of the live album in May 2003, the band fired guitar player Jan Yrlund and brought back Bart in his stead. In December 2004, the line-up was further extended with the return of former members Domingo Smets, who took over as bass player since Günther wanted to focus on singing, and Raf Jansen—who had filled Bart's position for several months in 1996-1997—as third guitar player. Most of 2005 was spent writing songs for the new album Rubicon, which was released on 15 May 2006.

Over the years, Ancient Rites have played with bands like Deicide, Motörhead, Judas Priest, Cradle of Filth, Metallica, Dissection, Morbid Angel, Stormtroopers of Death, Mercyful Fate, Impaled Nazarene, Manowar, Sepultura, Malevolent Creation, Rotting Christ and Slayer.

The band has been accused of being right-wing/nationalist, which the band itself denies.

Members

Current members

Gunther Theys – bass (1989–2004, 2014–2021), vocals (1988–present)
Erik Sprooten – guitars (1996–present)
Jory Hogeveen – guitars (2019–present)
Patrick Mallo - bass (2022-present)
John Berry - drums (2022-present)

Past members

Patrick "Wattie" Alfons Cyriel Bloos – bass (1988–1989)
Philip Bollengier – guitars (1988–1990; his death)
Stefan Bernar – drums (1989–1990; his death)
Johan Vrancken – guitars (1989–1990)
Franky Swinnen – guitars (1991)
Pascal – guitars (1991–1993)
Bart Vandereycken – guitars (1991–1996, 2003–2007)
Raf Jansen – guitars (1996–1997, 2005–2006)
Jan "Örkki" Yrlund – guitars (1997–2003)
Domingo Smets – keyboards (1999–2001), bass (2004–2007), guitars (2007–2015)
Davy Wouters – keyboards (2001–2010, 2011)
Thomas Cochrane – guitars (2015–2019)
Walter van Cortenberg – drums (1991–2021, his death)

Timeline

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LineData = layer:back color:other at:04/20/1990 at:03/01/1992 at:09/01/1992 at:01/20/1993 at:02/08/1993 at:07/01/1993 at:05/01/1994 at:09/01/1994 at:02/03/2003

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PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Gunther from:01/01/1988 till:06/01/1989 color:vocals bar:Gunther from:06/01/1989 till:12/01/2004 color:bass bar:Gunther from:06/01/1989 till:12/01/2004 color:vocals width:3 bar:Gunther from:12/01/2004 till:06/01/2014 color:vocals bar:Gunther from:06/01/2014 till:end color:bass bar:Gunther from:06/01/2014 till:end color:vocals width:3 bar:Philip from:01/01/1988 till:09/01/1990 color:guitar bar:Johan from:06/01/1989 till:10/01/1990 color:guitar bar:Bart from:03/01/1991 till:07/01/1996 color:guitar bar:Erik from:07/01/1996 till:end color:guitar bar:Franky from:03/01/1991 till:05/01/1991 color:guitar bar:Pascal from:05/01/1991 till:05/01/1993 color:guitar bar:Raf from:07/01/1996 till:06/01/1997 color:guitar bar:Jan from:06/01/1997 till:05/01/2003 color:guitar bar:Bart from:05/01/2003 till:06/01/2007 color:guitar bar:Thomas from:06/01/2015 till:02/01/2019 color:guitar bar:Jory from:02/01/2019 till:end color:guitar bar:PatrickA from:01/01/1988 till:06/01/1989 color:bass bar:PatrickM from:07/01/2022 till:end color:bass bar:Domingo from:03/01/1999 till:10/01/2001 color:keys bar:Domingo from:12/01/2004 till:06/01/2007 color:bass bar:Domingo from:06/01/2007 till:06/01/2015 color:guitar bar:Davy from:10/01/2001 till:06/01/2010 color:keys bar:Davy from:04/01/2011 till:04/03/2011 color:keys bar:Stefan from:06/01/1989 till:09/10/1990 color:drums bar:Walter from:03/01/1991 till:03/01/2021 color:drums bar:John from:07/01/2022 till:end color:drums

Discography

Albums and EPs

Evil Prevails (EP) – (1992)
The Diabolic Serenades – (1994)
Blasfemia Eternal – (1996)
Fatherland – (1998)
The First Decade 1989–1999 (compilation) – (1999)
Dim Carcosa – (2001)
And the Hordes Stood as One (live) – (2003)
Rubicon – (2006)
Laguz – (2015)

VHS and DVDs

Scenes of Splendour (VHS) – (2001)
And the Hordes Stood as One (DVD) – (2003)

Miscellaneous releases

Dark Ritual (demo) – (1990)
Promo 1992 (demo) – (1992)
Longing for the Ancient Kingdom II / Windows (split with Renaissance) – (1993)
Thou Art Lord / Ancient Rites (split with Thou Art Lord) – (1993)
Uncanny / Ancient Rites (split with Uncanny) – (1993)
Scared by Darkwinds / Longing for the Ancient Kingdom II (split with Enthroned) – (1994)

References

Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Ancient Rites biography". [[AllMusic]].
Rivadavia, Eduardo "[{{AllMusic

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