In 2013, I was online in search of new music, as always. At this point, I had been running my music blog for a few years and after being turned on to Swedish psych rockers Graveyard, I knew that there was more out there. I forget the name of the site now but I typed “Occult Rock Bands I Should Be Listening To” and it brought me to a site where it listed a ton of bands. I was scanning the list and I saw and one band name in particular stood out to me: Finnish occult/psych rock band Jess and the Ancient Ones.
I immediately went to Spotify, looked them up and I was taken to where they had only two releases at the time. The “Astral Sabbat” EP and their debut self-titled full-length album. Everything about this band blew me away and it was unlike anything I’d heard in my life up to that point. It was heavy, melodic, psychedelic, mellow, and haunting. It was everything I loved about music all in one. Fronted by a mysterious female vocalist only credited as Jess, the band also featured an assortment of oddly named members such as Thomas Corpse (Guitar), Thomas Fiend (Guitar), Von Stroh (Guitar), Fast Jake (Bass), Yusuff (Drums) and, Abraham (Keyboards).
Jess and the Ancient Ones did ONE North American tour supporting King Diamond in 2014 and it was one of the highlights of my concert going life. The band was on fire and for 45 minutes I forgot that I was even there to see King Diamond. It was so moving and so inspired that I felt transported. Since that moment for 14 years, Jess and the Ancient Ones has been a top 10 favorite band of mine without a doubt. After four stellar albums and countless European tours and festival shows, things fell quiet in the JATAO camp for most of 2024 and the band performed a sold out performance on October 26, 2024 at Ravintola Ottopoika in their hometown of Kuopio, Finland. Until now, silence fell upon the Jess and the Ancient Ones camp when what we have now been known as “transmissions” from the band. It was an announcement of change via their official social media platforms:
As one might have noticed that we’ve been “in the making…” for a very long while. It is often hard to make time and place come together, and from this curse none are safe. Unfortunately in our case the result is the departing of ways with our singer Jasmin.
We know this is a major change and unfortunate news, but in order to continue our journey to create music that made us be, this was the only solution left. Without this transformation there might never have been another album coming from our direction.
We must underline that this decision truly was not made lightly, nor in emotional turmoil.
Truly we wish all the best to Jasmin’s future endeavours, and one can continue to enjoy her voice through her solo career.
But even if this change is major, nothing kind of changes. The music and the melodies will continue remain the same as always, but the interpreter of it all will be another fierce voice.
We already have a new singer, and will come back to introduce her in the near future with some audio to go along with it. Also, we are seven again. This means that the next album will feature the same traits that began it all. Heavy hitting rock with three guitars leading the way into that early JATAO sound.
Blessed be the journey upon us.
Change is a scary thing for those involved on the inside and to us, the fans, on the outside. As a longtime fan of Jess and the Ancient Ones, I will definitely miss the sound of Jasmin’s voice and the mystique of her personality both on and off stage. That being said, I am not just a fan of Jasmin’s, I am a fan of Jess and the Ancient Ones. The music, the lyrics, the passion behind the stories and the messages within are the things that captivated me and drew me into their world. This is the beginning of a whole new path in the Jess and the Ancient Ones journey. From here, who knows where this journey will take us. Where will it take them? I do know that I am going to be joining them on this new path because I’ve come this far already.
It may be a hard thing for fans to accept or get on board with but if you are truly a fan of any band, you would give them the benefit of the doubt. I will miss Jasmin’s vocal delivery but I am also extremely excited to see where this new path will take us. It is a new era for Jess and the Ancient Ones and their fans and I am here for it.
To Jasmin, I truly look forward to hearing what may come from her in the future (if anything.)
To Jess and the Ancient Ones, let’s fucking do this. Carry on wayward sons (and daughter.)
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