Art of Propaganda is clearly looking to corner the market in a certain kind of emotionally-charged, angst-ridden post-black metal that Anomalie exemplifies so well. Harakiri For The Sky has been well positioned as the flagship of this windswept sound which draws you in like a grey and blustery autumn afternoon. This year’s Harakiri spin-off Seagrave released what turned out to be a brave attempt to push the core sound into new territory. Now Anomalie – which features two members of Harakiri’s touring unit – have quickly followed up 2014’s Between The Light with another album full of regrets and lamentations which fits the menu perfectly.
Taking all the best shoegazing elements from post black metal Refugium adds in a structured dose of post-rock and balances the clean vocals with those classic growling, almost depressive, black metal vocals. But then the band, through musical means, whips up a mournful cradle of atmospheres which effortlessly wraps you in its cocoon of tremolo guitars, post-rock riffs and stratosphere scaling solos. The end result is something that stands easily astride despair and hope – mental torment wrapped in something that is undeniably also bathed in beauty.
Refugium feels a little more confidently delivered than Between The Light which relied more heavily on the wall of grainy sound, the barrage of guitars and which had vocals lower in the mix. Anomalie takes the sound on considerably finding even more spaces to full with shades of grey between those moments of drifting acoustic notes, clean vocals and more violent black metal moments. Between Reality and the World Beyond and Leaving Somnia are both a good examples of the band’s new attitude and growing sensitivity to those production techniques which seem to layer the instruments more clearly and helps to distinguish Anomalie from the rest of the post-black metal brigade.
Refugium never really lets up on the intensity even though there are some moments of white musical space – it all adds to the pot of an almost easy drifting sound coupled with sinew tensing blasts. As ever, the best is left until last with the band moving up a gear with the soulful and swinging Freiflug 48° 23’ N, 16° 19’ O and the finale Refugium which both add new dimensions to the album just when you think things might be flagging. The title track hauls some of the album’s purest black metal into its final throws finally giving way to a dissipating distorted guitar and lingering piano.
While this isn’t catapult Anomalie ahead of Harakiri For The Sky in this blossoming Austrian mini-scene it’s a good supporting act and there is enough packed in here to suggest that there might be more to come as Anomalie spreads its wings on those rain-soaked winds.
(7.5/10 Reverend Darkstanley)
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