Diego Meraviglia, among black metallers best known as GroM, joined Ancient around the last days of April 2000, replacing Kjetil Haraldstad behind the drum kit. Knowing Aphazel and Deadly Kristin on a personal level beforehand and being a follower of the band since the early 90's, all that was left was to try out technically, and after one rehearsal it was confirmed that he was indeed the new drummer of the band.



GroM's debut with Ancient was in the Portuguese mini-tour and in Ancient's mini-cd 'God Loves The Dead'. Born in the far North of Italy, GroM is a drummer at heart, and example of a pure and 101% musician, being someone that decided 12 years ago, that music, and especially metal, was going to be his life. He lives it, breathes it and feeds on it.



A very fundamentalist metaller, strongly believing in the ideology and principle of metal as a culture and lifestyle, not only as a musical genre. A very big vinyl collector, and between the first 10 collectors worldwide of the band that has most significantly and strongly influenced what is his life today, namely Iron Maiden and Dream Theater.



As for the technical and musical aspects, after having joined Ancient he left the bands he was previously a member of, namely local bands going under the name of 'Bedeviled' and another band called 'Bloodstorm'. He played as a session drummer with many important bands and was supposed to embark with 'Fiurach' (ex-Agarthi) before becoming a member of Ancient and therefore abandoning the other projects.



GroM is a professional drummer, having behind him 9 years experience with his instrument, he is not only a private drum teacher, but a student of the CPM Music University in Milan (Italy). 1 drum degree already on his back, he is going for the 2nd one and a masters degree which he will be achieving in a couple of years at the CPM and later on at the 'Drummer's Collective' in New York.



Stylish, powerful and complex on his instrument, his style is influenced by what he considers his idols and 'teachers', Mike Portnoy (Dream Tehater), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Mark Zonder (Warlord / Fates Warning), Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Grip Inc.), Scott Travis (Judas Priest), Vinny Appice (Dio), Bobby Jarzombek (Riot), Terry Bozzio and last but not least Gene Hoglan.



GroM's main musical inspirations, influences and life-time favourite bands spread from the historically great New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and prog-metal, to 100% black and death Metal...meaning ALL METAL (which is something he considers VERY important). The names of such influences and inspirations are Iron Maiden (Ofcourse), Dream Theater, Riot, Queensryche, Dark Throne, Warlord, Omen, Dio, Angelwitch, Iced Earth, Metal Church, Attacker, Venom, Hellhammer, Judas Priest, Slayer, Sodom, Bathory, Death, Overkill, Dissection and many many others including most early 90's death and black metal bands and a lot of good old heavy metal...



GroM is also the official new Doomsword-drummer, and joined the band in June 2001. He has recorded the band's 2nd album 'Resound The Horn' on DragonHeart Records, due to be released in January 2002, as well as having numerous other parallel projects underway and in planning.