Anarchos is a new band featuring, apparently, a number of Dutch underground metal stalwarts. (As names are not included with the promo material, it’s hard to say exactly who they are.) Anyhow, ‘Descent Into the Maelstrom’ is their debut release, consisting of five original (de)compositions.
‘Anointing the Sick’ begins the initiation with some dark, rumbling death metal of the older school variety. The loose, raw feel recalls aspects of Autopsy’s sound while the music itself is more along the lines of, say, early Amorphis with a Swedish death metal tone to the guitars… if that makes sense. An eerie slow-down in the opener spits fumes of mortal decay into the listener’s facial orifices, while overall there is a sense of collapse amongst the many listless riffs. ‘Morbid Ways to Decay’ comes out fast to begin with but soon descends into another deathly dirge. Rhythms accelerate and slow down as before, like an undulating column of crematory smoke dispersing into the wind.
A particularly cool, haunting solo section provides the highlight of the second track before the Grave-like swagger of ‘The Great Black Death’ emerges to add yet another layer of darkness. ‘Sarggeburt’ is funereal, just for a change. This time, heavy riffs in tandem with sombre guitar lines lead the charge. It’s a great combination, which creates the most impressive atmosphere of the entire EP. In fact it’s fair to say that the further I went with it, the more the material on ‘Descent Into the Maelstrom’ managed to impress. Final track, ‘Tales of the Mutilated Remains’, for instance, elevates the tormented vocals by placing them in the midst of some winding guitar lines, caustic riffs and tempered percussion.
All in all, this EP is a great introduction to Anarchos’ world. It will be interesting to see how their formula plays out over the course of their forthcoming album and what kind of a production they’ll go for. In some respects, it could be argued that what’s here sounds a tad hard on the ears but really this is part of what makes ‘Descent Into the Maelstrom’ such a dark and miserable experience.
(8/10 Jamie)
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