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REVIEW – Anaal Nathrakh has a new record out. I am supposed to be excited. This is a band that for the past 10 records ( before number 11) have pushed their music into such unsafe territory with such grand results. For people who thought black metal could only be presented in one dimension. This band showed many dimensions to their sound. The Whole of the Law is one of the best cds of the last decade easily. I feel that was their Master of Puppets or Reign in Blood. I feel much like Meshuggah was early on,that the band is at a point that the critical and fan praise is not enough. They need to get sales. I am not going to call them “ sell outs” just yet. I feel this cd if you didn’t know better could be assumed as a Devin Townsend return to Strapping Young Lad with King Diamond loaning vocals. That feeling is what kept my interest on this new album. This band have found ways this time around to make their sound feel fresh but yet pushing the boundaries yet again. Die hard fans will find a lot to like with this new record, but yet new fans will also. The vocals on this record go through so many cycles that keeps the listener guessing as to what we will get next. The screams, grunts and guttural attack are still there but yet we even more get clean vocals thrown in as well.
While most fans know all about that, it seems this time they are relying more on the clean vocals to really pack a bigger punch than in past releases. Endarkenment just opens on the title track which for me I would have preferred this cd to open with the monster, Feeding the Death Machine. Feeding the Death Machine is so in your face hard as fuck. This is the song that will make pits bleed and parents run for cover. This song is so break-neck and brutal. This band ends this cd with Requiem. This is where I draw my confusion. The song starts like you would expect from this band. Then, the last half of the song. This is what concerns me. The band lays a heavy hint as to where their minds are at for the future. It ends in almost a symphonic and thoughtful way to bridge the next cd from their past cds. I cannot count how many times I had to replay most songs on this cd just because I could not get them out of my head. The drumming is furious with the guitars and bass just killing it. The vocals take center stage and this is a statement of where the band is at right now. My problem is the statement of where the band thinks it needs to go next. Almost everything on this cd is solid. The title track opening was not the punch I felt past releases had, but there are several tracks on here that do punch hard.I am not saying the title track is bad. I am just saying that for the opening of a cd you would expect the earth to rumble and ground to shake. This song is not the song to do that. This is a band who have over the releases, given us so many hints with electronic and also symphonic elements that they are a perfect band to crossover. The problem is what do they give up to get there. This album is to me a really good album. The problem is this is a band who put out really great albums. I think the more I listen to it, the more it will grow on me. The problem is with reviewing, you cannot tell a fan of a band, ” if you listen to this cd 31 times, it will get better”. Again, this is a very good cd. I own all their other records and will see me forking the cash to buy this one as well.
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