Anaal Nathrakh - Hell Is Empty and All The Devils Are Here
FETO Records - FETO009 - October 29th, 2007
By Paddy Walsh
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani!?
(My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?)
Only a band like Anaal Nathrakh can pull off using the above biblical text as the refrain for one of their exercises in aural violence, and when you hear it you might just wonder if Jesus was possessed with a set as pipes as pathologically unhinged as those of V.I.T.R.I.O.L. - if he was, it might just explain why so many wanted him up on that cross, messianic pretensions be damned.
A mere year after the release of Escaton, Anaal Nathrakh are clearly a band not content to rest on their laurels. Having reaped much critical acclaim since their caustic orthodox black metal debut, The Codex Necro, shat itself from the bowels England, the duo (completed by Irrumator) have continued to forge a unique brand of truly vicious black metal cum grindcore. Hell is Empty... continues to tread in both black metal and grindcore swamps, Irrumator's riffs buzzing like a chainsaw throughout whilst V.I.T.R.I.O.L's vocals remain possibly the most engaging black metal vox being spewed forth these days - his feral roars, screeches, barks and growls punctured by occasional forays into distinctly Emperor-esque clean vocal territory that merely add to the apocalyptic sense of dread throughout. As is Anaal Nathrakh's tendency, the lyrics appear to cover themes of misanthropy, as evidenced by the song titles ('Screaming of the Unborn', 'Sanction Extremis', 'Until the World Stops Turning', 'Genetic Noose'...get the picture?).
As was the case with Eschaton, Hell is Empty... shows Anaal Nathrakh perched upon black metal's frosty summit, as evey track on this is absolute grade-A. 'Der Holle Rache Kocht In Meinem Herzen' is the archetypal Anaal Nathrakh opener - blisteringly fast and featuring a chorus that's almost catchy, whilst 'The Final Absolution' sees Irrumator taking his foot off the pedal ever so slightly, producing a chug-a-thon to rival any American thrash band. However, it's when Anaal go all out in extremis that their strengths are fully apparent - the art of forceful bludgeon, and closer 'Castigation and Betrayal' is just that - relentlessly fast, painfully heavy and featuring what is possibly V.I.T.R.I.O.L.'s most piercing 'puking of vocal armageddon' heard since The Codex Necro. If you ever wondered what kind of music Nietzsche might have made, then this is it. The perfect present for your loved ones this Christmas.
Official Anaal Nathrakh Website
Official FETO Records Website
FETO Records - FETO009 - October 29th, 2007
By Paddy Walsh
Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani!?
(My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?)
Only a band like Anaal Nathrakh can pull off using the above biblical text as the refrain for one of their exercises in aural violence, and when you hear it you might just wonder if Jesus was possessed with a set as pipes as pathologically unhinged as those of V.I.T.R.I.O.L. - if he was, it might just explain why so many wanted him up on that cross, messianic pretensions be damned.
A mere year after the release of Escaton, Anaal Nathrakh are clearly a band not content to rest on their laurels. Having reaped much critical acclaim since their caustic orthodox black metal debut, The Codex Necro, shat itself from the bowels England, the duo (completed by Irrumator) have continued to forge a unique brand of truly vicious black metal cum grindcore. Hell is Empty... continues to tread in both black metal and grindcore swamps, Irrumator's riffs buzzing like a chainsaw throughout whilst V.I.T.R.I.O.L's vocals remain possibly the most engaging black metal vox being spewed forth these days - his feral roars, screeches, barks and growls punctured by occasional forays into distinctly Emperor-esque clean vocal territory that merely add to the apocalyptic sense of dread throughout. As is Anaal Nathrakh's tendency, the lyrics appear to cover themes of misanthropy, as evidenced by the song titles ('Screaming of the Unborn', 'Sanction Extremis', 'Until the World Stops Turning', 'Genetic Noose'...get the picture?).
As was the case with Eschaton, Hell is Empty... shows Anaal Nathrakh perched upon black metal's frosty summit, as evey track on this is absolute grade-A. 'Der Holle Rache Kocht In Meinem Herzen' is the archetypal Anaal Nathrakh opener - blisteringly fast and featuring a chorus that's almost catchy, whilst 'The Final Absolution' sees Irrumator taking his foot off the pedal ever so slightly, producing a chug-a-thon to rival any American thrash band. However, it's when Anaal go all out in extremis that their strengths are fully apparent - the art of forceful bludgeon, and closer 'Castigation and Betrayal' is just that - relentlessly fast, painfully heavy and featuring what is possibly V.I.T.R.I.O.L.'s most piercing 'puking of vocal armageddon' heard since The Codex Necro. If you ever wondered what kind of music Nietzsche might have made, then this is it. The perfect present for your loved ones this Christmas.
Official Anaal Nathrakh Website
Official FETO Records Website
