Anaal Nathrakh
Desideratum
(Metal Blade Records)
Too much of a good thing is rarely a good thing. That’s the
unfortunate issue with Anaal Nathrakh’s eighth record. All of the
elements of success are here in spades. The band’s trademark “extreme
metal” sound is tighter and louder than ever; no one else really
combines industrial, grindcore, black metal, and melodeath like Anaal
Nathrakh does. For the new album, there are even liberal doses of groove
metal added because why not? The band’s continued mantra is to bring
forth a sound of the apocalypse, and with the aural insanity present in Desideratum,
there’s little doubt that this is some deliciously Hellish stuff.
“Unleash” is ferocious and addicting, with a guitar melody that is
out-of-this-world catchy. “Idol” is one of the best songs the band has
ever crafted, with a sound that conjures a musical Frankenstein created
by At the Gates and Devin Townsend. The track is downright maniacal in
the best way possible.
That’s ultimately what dooms the record, unfortunately. Each of these
songs is mighty impressive in its own right; however, when you put
everything together, two things become wildly clear: the band clearly
has a well-defined songwriting approach, and they love their insanity.
Admittedly, you don’t want to fix what’s not broken, but over the course
of the album, the bombast becomes a bit too much to take in such a
saturated dose. It doesn’t help that each song is written with a very
similar formula in mind, so you know what to expect. The only musical
misstep is the lifeless drums that, while impressive, are obviously done
using a computer. No human could ever play this fast. It’s fun, but,
like the rest of the album, it goes a bit too far for its own good.
If it feels like I’m conflicted, that’s because those really the only
issues that plague a sensationally enjoyable record. “The Joystream” is
pure metal bliss, with guitars that voraciously eat through different
subgenres like a fat man at a buffet, and David Hunt may be one of the
most versatile vocalists in all of metal. Again, check out “The
Joystream” or “Idol” for the wide range of things he can do with his
vocal chords. It’s mighty impressive. This far into their careers, I’m
sure Anaal Nathrakh are content to carry on with what they know works,
but for album number nine, I would hope they introduce a little
something different. This is already fun stuff; wouldn’t it be nice if
you could tell which song you were listening to a little easier?
Artikel keren lainnya:
Belum ada tanggapan untuk "Anaal Nathrakh - Desideratum : Review"
Post a Comment