Anaal Nathrakh, of Birmingham, are not a subtle band. In fact, they are the kind of band who's musical attack is like repeatedly sustaining a heavy boot to the face. The album Passion, released on Candlelight Records, highlights the two band members V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (Dave Hunt, also of death metal acts Benediction and Mistress) and Irrumator's (Mick Kenney also of Fukpig and ex/Mistress) twisted views on the world and humanity in general, with song titles like Drug-Fucking Abomination and Who Thinks of the Executioner serving as a warning to what the listener is getting themselves into.The discordant opening of the album's first track Violenti Non Fit Iniuria creates an incredible sense of dread, foreshadowing the brutality that is soon to emerge. In the case of Anaal Nathrakh, brutality is a word that can be used without embarrassment, as this couldn't be further from the type of statement so often mistakenly attributed to atrocious deathcore/tech-math-fringecore acts, who care more about maintaining their "cool" image than producing good music. The musical prowess on display throughout this album is nothing short of astounding, with powerful riffs bridging the gap between black metal and grind very effectively.
The onslaught of crushing blastbeats and blitzing tremolo picking is matched by the furious vocal delivery of Dave Hunt, who screams out haunting cries of misanthropy and anguish in a way that is perhaps unlike any other vocalist, although his style could be likened to that of a young Varg Vikernes or Vaehron of Pensees Nocturnes. Emotion and pure disgust is spewed forth in the vocals of this record, in which Hunt shows his diversity by combining piercing screams with melodic sections which creates an interesting element to the band's sound to prevent the relentless aggression ever becoming tiring.
Anaal Nathrakh are far from being a one dimensional band, and they have an incredible ability to link together sections of abysmal atmosphere (like the sections of a crying victim's dying screams in Drug-Fucking Abomination) with the more traditional all out tearing sections of black metal (in a style not dissimilar to acts like Gorgoroth and early Emperor).
One slight gripe about this strong release is the production, as the prominent kick drum sound often engulfs the quality music going on underneath, and marks a departure from the traditional "necro" feel often associated with death and black metal. The often incoherence and dangerous distortion of Hunt's vocals may be a point of division for some, but for me, they suit the mood and message of the music in a way that would be very difficult to achieve with another less potent vocal style.
Overall, this album is another great release by Anaal Nathrakh, who are seemingly turning heads everywhere with their striking approach to metal music, and if you can handle it (it is seriously fucking terrifying in parts) then this is a CD that deserves a place in your rack.
For fans of - Gorgoroth, Fukpig, Mistress, 1349, Marduk - or anything else chaotic, noisy and aggressive beyond belief.
Rating - 4/5
/L
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