Ancient Rites, a Belgian folk metal band from Diest, was formed in 1989 by Gunther Theys. The original lineup included Theys on vocals and bass, Johan and Phillip on guitars, and Stefan on drums. Their first release, the demo Dark Ritual, came out in 1990. Tragedy struck when Philip died in a car accident, and Stefan took his own life shortly after. Despite these losses, the band continued with Walter Van Cortenberg replacing Stefan on drums and Pascal and Bart Vandereycken joining on guitars. Their debut album, The Diabolic Serenades, was released in 1994, followed by Blasfemia Eternal in 1996. The band's lineup evolved over the years, with notable albums including Fatherland (1998) and Rvbicon (2006). Ancient Rites toured extensively with bands like Deicide, Motörhead, and Judas Priest. In 2015, after a period of inactivity, they released the album Laguz.
