Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Ancient Gate was given birth in March 2019. First as a one-man side project by Ildrac, who at the time was playing in Spectral Light (from Argentina). The intention from the start was to play raw and atmospheric black metal. In late 2019 E.Neros joined the band.
Our current line-up consists of Ildrac (guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals) and E.Neros (drums and percussion).

How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
Our style is an amalgamation of styles from the bands we hold close and respect. I would say, the more melodic side of Blut Aus Nord is our biggest influence (think of albums as Memoria Vetusta (I, II and III) or Ultima Thulee. We try to mix that with the style of Abigor (Nachthymnen era) and some swedish black metal (Marduk, Dissection, etc.). In our first album the Judas Iscariot influence was prevalent, but we gradually moved away from that sound in subsequent releases.

Why should a metalhead buy your demos/albums?
If any lover of Extreme Metal likes the bands mentioned above we are sure they will find something to enjoy in our music. And our albums are Name your own Price on bandcamp, so, anyone can download them for free if they so desire.

What have you released so far and how were your releases received by the public/media? 
We have currently released two full-length albums and one split.
"From the Shadow Lands", released on June 22, 2019, via bandcamp and in very limited copies by a local label.
"Morbid Gates of Winter" was released on July 06, 2019. The album consists of a Split release with Wintaar from Russia, featuring two songs by Ancient Gate (not present on our debut album).
"Empire Beyond Dusk" saw the light of day on May 23, 2020. Our newest release.
They all have been well received by fans and media alike. Especially the comments on our latest album. We have to say we are happy and surprised by that.

Do you play live as well? How's your live activity so far?
We don't play any live shows. We don't discard the possibility of playing live in the future, but today, Ancient Gate is a studio band. We think our music has the best effect by listening to it by yourself and in solitude.

What should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
I think we try (within the confines of black metal) to stay relevant and avoid to fall in the cliches of the style. There are millions of bands out there repeating things done years ago by Darkthrone or Bathory. Lyrically and musically we try to distance ourselves from that. We try to give the best experience possible, caring a lot about our artwork and lyrics (you shall not see any black and withe pictures of us with axes or in a forest). 

What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
We are currently promoting our sophomore album, "Empire Beyond Dusk" and finishing the touches on our next release, to be entitled "Forgotten Dark Age". Hopefully we can enter the studio in the coming months to record these new tracks. We have to let everyone reading know that Hessian Firm is about to release our second album in physical format.

Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Our music is currently featured on Bandcamp, and Youtube. Our home page is: https://ancientgate.bandcamp.com/. Thanks a lot for this opportunity to share and promote our band. Await for the Ancient Ones to reclaim this earth!

Band Links:
Bandcamp: https://ancientgate.bandcamp.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OldSpires/ 
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM3GZPp-57Mr4Zb12aeBPDA

June 2020