Aptly titled, The Ancient Calling brings together two newer old-style Greek black metal hordes, both of whom have released celebrated debut albums in 2019: FUNERAL STORM with Arcane Mysteries and SYNTELIEA with Ending of Unknown Path. FUNERAL STORM are up first with "Mistress of the Night," a pulsing stream of sumptuous mystery. Of especial note is that the drum machine used on this track is the exact same one used during the '90s at Storm Studio for such Hellenic classics as Rotting Christ's Thy Mighty Contractand Non Serviam, Varathron's Walpurgisnacht, and Nergal's The Wizard of Nerath among many others. Not to be outdone, SYNTELEIA bring more mystery with the moody "Stellar Return." Epic in its narrative, simmering in its tension, and then bringing it all home in climactic fashion, the track poignantly underlines the traditional heavy metal element so intrinsic to the early Greek black metal style.