Looking for a band with ancient sounds

I don`t know. Have you tried listening to any of Gentle Giant `s stuff ? 

Try the New Percussion Group from Amsterdam.  They play wooden drums that are tuned that are the same type drums that the ancient people from Africa played.  Bill Bruford guests on one of their records.

When sean said Nile, I thought of Nil, a French band. Copied from their PA page:

Their third effort, "Quarante Jours Sur Le Sinaï" ("Forty Days On The Sinai"), is a conceptual work dealing with Ancient Egypt and old gods....the music is a mesmerizing melange of Mellotron and organ laden dark prog enmeshed with flute, searing guitar runs, Chapman Stick, dreamy female vocals as well as dramatic commanding male vocals (all vocals are in French).

A four star album for me but you better like long songs.  Only two on the 62 minute effort.

Gryphon used a lot of ancient instruments, like krumhorn for example. But perhaps not as ancient as you wish.
Embryo use instruments from all around the world, some of them pretty ancient too.
Not prog, but also using instruments from all around the world, some of them probably pretty ancient too: Hadouk, a French trio consisting of Didier Malherbe on all kinds of wind instruments, Loy Ehrlich on keyboards and hajouj (a kind of African bass) and Steve Sheehan on all kinds of percussion instruments.

Therion has some "ancient" sounds...especially on Theli, but they're not really prog.

Thanks all I'll try  "Quarante Jours Sur Le Sinaï" by Nil

I'll try other ones too, so please go on with the recommendations.

BaldFriede wrote: Gryphon used a lot of ancient instruments, like krumhorn for example. But perhaps not as ancient as you wish. Embryo use instruments from all around the world, some of them pretty ancient too. Not prog, but also using instruments from all around the world, some of them probably pretty ancient too: Hadouk, a French trio consisting of Didier Malherbe on all kinds of wind instruments, Loy Ehrlich on keyboards and hajouj (a kind of African bass) and Steve Sheehan on all kinds of percussion instruments.

DJPuffyLemon wrote: Therion has some "ancient" sounds...especially on Theli, but they're not really prog.

Good point about Therion, they indeed involve some 'ancient Egyptian and Babylonian' sounds.
Probably not really prog, but some quite good sounds.

Nile, as Dean mentioned, are in the same group of bands, regarding their sound.

Yes "Tales from Topographic Oceans", it even has a song called "The Ancient"!

My recommendations for NIL - Quarante jours sur le Sinai also. It fits greatly to your specifications: there certainly is a lot of rythm changes and very complex stuff like several overlayed simultaneous themes. It has  ancient egyptian sound as well, or more like ancient atmosphere. This album is easily one of the greatest records ever released IMHO. But beware, it may take time to get into.

As Vangelis is mentioned here, I really don't see much of ancient greece on Heaven & Hell, but do purchase Vangelis & Irene Papas albums Odes & Rapsodies, they are really deeply OLD! They may not be truly progressive, but they're brilliant stuff anyhow.

And then there is Seven Reich! That's made for you! Their albums Strinkadenn' Ys and Samsara are brilliant symphonic stuff in very traditional celtic and arabic influences! Even the arabic language Kabyle is used as well as a huge pile of traditional instruments. You should really check these out!

Also I recommend you the Spanish orchestras Triana and Mezquita and their first albums that I believe you would like.

And then there is of course the Rajaz of Camel. A very arabic symph album, mellow and smooth, an easy piece so there's not much of a complexity, but a very strong egyptian feeling.


Edited by Kobaia - February 22 2008 at 02:51