Vancouver Titans Level Toronto: Anciients Bring the Hammer Down
- jaybroderick
- 14 hours ago
- 4 min read
By: Jay Broderick
Toronto, Ontario - A three‑band bill at The Garrison always feels like a rite of passage... sweaty, loud, intimate, and absolutely unforgiving! And Anciients’ August 20, 2026 headlining show turned that little Dundas West room into a furnace of riffs, screams, and full‑body energy, as is typically the case when Inertia Entertainment brings a show to the venue.
Dawn of Ouroboros
All the way from Oakland, California, Dawn of Ouroboros opened the night with a six‑song blast that immediately snapped the crowd awake. Formed in 2018, the female‑fronted four‑piece (performing sans bassist) packed the tiny Garrison stage with movement, and sweat.
Vocalist Chelsea Murphy's range was wild. As every good metal singer, she was screamy, growly, and feral, yet capable of flipping into something gentle and controlled, as noticed during the band's short set. Meanwhile, guitarist Ian Baker was everywhere at once, while the singer thrashed with a grin that never left her face.
By the final solo, the crowd was cheering and clapping along. A killer opening set that felt way bigger than the room it was in. And like the ouroboros itself, the band displayed unity, proving that matter and spirit never die!!
Dawn of Ouroboros Photo Gallery (all photos by: Jay Broderick)
Unreqvited
Ottawa’s Unreqvited shifted the night into something colder, darker, and more atmospheric. Formed in 2016, their set leaned heavily into instrumental passages, punctuated by timed screams, howls, and ritualistic chants. Their third track however, brought a very cool harmonious chants from bassist Robin Parsons. The band's frontman, the unnamed driving force behind the project, and simply known as Ghost, delivered scattered, ethereal lyrics throughout the track. By the end of the set, guitarist Victor Forrest was drenched in sweat, giving the most physical energy of the frontline.
It was a hypnotic, immersive set, the kind that makes the room feel shrouded in fire and brimstone!
Unreqvited Photo Gallery (all photos by: Jay Broderick)
Anciients
Vancouver’s heavy titans hit the stage at 10:00 p.m. sharp! After two hours of buildup, the house lights dropped and Anciients stormed the stage. In between sets, a fan beside me struck up a conversation asking if I’d ever seen them before. While LoudTO covered the band during a supporting role at a Cancer Bats show here in April this year, I personally have not seen the band. I told Ryan that I have not seen them but that they have been on my radar for some time now. “You’re in for a treat,” he said, and 5 seconds into the band's opening track "Forbidden Sanctuary", from the band's 2025 Juno Award winning album Beyond the Reach of the Sun, I knew he wasn’t lying.
The Vancouver four‑piece, active since 2009 and currently tearing through their 2026 East Canada Summer Tour, exploded into their first track, an 8 minute onslaught with a sound so massive it felt like the walls shook. WOW!!! Some bands just have that extra kick, that intangible force... and then there is Anciients with a raw power that rips right through. A power that separates the great from the good.
I moved around the venue for some different angles as they obliterated through the next two songs, "The Torch", and "Following the Voice". Drummer Mike Hannay (not to be confused with my high school mate Mike Hainey) soloed into the third track, a thunderous intro that had the crowd roaring. And like tonight's opening band, Anciients frontman Kenny Cook had that growly, genre‑perfect heaviness balanced with melodic verses that elevated the band’s presence even further.
Cook greeted the fans after the 3rd track. “How the fuck y’all doing tonight Toronto?” It had almost a southern drawl. So much so, that I actually had to fact check my knowledge. “It’s fucking freezing in here!” he finished. I wasn't clear whether he was actually cold, or if he was dying with heat, and being sarcastic. In my opinion, it was neither. The AC pipes dripped condensation on the 200+ fans, having a hard time keeping up, but it certainly wasn't sweltering... at least not yet... but things would change as the band detonated into "Worshipper", a 10-minute journey of sound that constantly moves and shifts.
As I settled into a spot against the wall to catch the rest of the show in all its pounding glory, photography duties finished for the night, I could see the energy erupting off the stage. Bassist Rory O'Brien radiating cool, guitarist Brock MacInnis in his Purple Rain shirt absolutely on fire, and the left‑handed frontman commanding the room with total authority. Then a monstrous riff and rhythm kicked off "Melt the Crown", instantly opening a mosh pit. The two guitarists came together to trade licks while a rumbling drum pattern shook the floor. The not‑quite‑full crowd was loud, fully locked in, roaring with approval.
With perfectly timed moments of interaction, Cook announced that they had three songs left, thanked the openers, and plowed into the next track "Despoiled". Immediately into "Is It Your God", another track highlighting Cook's vocal abilities, and finally, the gallopy rhythm of "Buried in Sand" blasted through The Garrison as the band amped up for their final song. The crowd surged forward, fists up, voices raised. And just like that, after an hour of pure force, the set was over.
Track List
Forbidden Sanctuary
The Torch
Following the Voice
Worshipper
My Home, My Gallows
Melt the Crown
Despoiled
Is It Your God
Buried in Sand
A late start, three bands, and a headliner that hit like a freight train. Anciients proved exactly why fans speak about them with reverence. Their sound is huge, their energy relentless, and their command of the stage undeniable. Despite the short set, this was power! The kind that leaves your ears ringing and your adrenaline spiked long after you step back out into the Toronto night.
Anciients Photo Gallery (all photos by: Jay Broderick)
Anciients Online
Show Date: August 20, 2026
Great review and pics