The ever-reliable Royal Mail failed in their quest to deliver a couple of promo CDs from Folter Records in a timely fashion. Hell, in the time it took these 2 CDs to arrive (11 days to be precise) I posted CDs to the USA and Singapore quicker. All this meant that our editor had to get me download versions of the albums in question, the first of which is this German band Anachoret, and the second is Temple Of Evil which I have also reviewed.
Germany’s Anachoret is the solo project of K.C. who resides in Krypta and Osteon and is also an ex-member of Idisenfluch. With a handful of previous releases already in the bag this is the first full length on offer with six fairly expansive and epic compositions to tantalise the sonic taste buds of those into atmospheric black metal. There are so many acts plying their trade in this subgenre it is not easy for acts like this to get noticed, but notice this band will certainly garner as the songs offered here play around with emotion yet imbibe everything with that pernicious piercing factor black metal requires. Opening number ‘Chasing The Night Sky’ typifies what K.C. has in his armoury, the raw guitar work sits nicely with the atmospheric backing as that raw savagery is blended with softer more gentile sequences, such as acoustic guitar work, something that is embedded into the fabric of this album as a whole.
‘Home’ follows neatly, using a build up strategy with great results as here I get the inkling that K.C. likes the post black scene too. With a slow pacing initially the song layers on the power until the inevitable and ensuing blast beat, as the morose riffing reinforces the album’s atramentous aura, percolated with surging wrath. ‘Das Meer In Deinen Augen’ is the first of the songs to hit the double-digit duration mark, as the construction centres around charismatic emotive riffing, woven together with the epic stature as a clean vocal is unveiled. At times pagan, this facet really augments the atmosphere as the delicate touches texturise everything.
‘Grace Of Decay’ has an abyssal dolefulness at the beginning, its unwavering atmospherics are brilliantly blended with the abrupt bursts of blasting power as that acoustic posturing is seamlessly spliced into the song. Closing is the monster epic, ‘Freiheit, a tune saturated in dramatic purpose as the opening moments are tinctured with a sublime ability to incorporate various blackened facets such as obsidian doom pacing and rancorous blackened filth in equal measure. With the exceptionally harsh vocal instilling a sense of inhumanity and causticity, the song’s mood shifts around like a ghoulish parade. The intensity is here too, primal unfettered rawness merged with melancholic fervour, surging tempos marry nicely to the repetition of the riffing which I really liked here, creating a hypnotic trait.
Those into their atmospheric black metal but also for those who enjoy an utter mauling then Anachoret’s debut full length is a sizeable slab of tempered ferocious rage.
(8.5/10 Martin Harris)
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