ANATA - Under a Stone With No Inscription
1. Shackled To Guilt
2. A Problem Yet To Be Solved
3. Entropy Within
4. Dance To The Song Of Apathy
5. Sewerages Of The Mind
6. Built On Sand
7. Under The Debris
8. The Drowning
9. Leaving The Spirit Behind
10. Any Kind Of Magic Or Miracle
Label: Wicked World
Release date: 2003
Artist site: http://www.varberg.se/~drake/
GRADE:
10/10
I stumbled onto ANATA about three or four years ago, the only release they had was 1998's The Infernal Depths Of Hatred, released on Season of Mist. A collection of eight thrashlike blasts of epic death metal, this release was but a taste of what was to come. If my memory serves me correctly, at least one of the band members was still in high school! Highly recommended to anyone who hasn't heard it, but onward!
Word spread throughout the underground, and in 2001 Season Of Mist licensed their follow up, Dreams Of Death And Dismay to Relapse Records, thus making it much easier to get stateside. That album continued in the direction of its predecessor, only this time even more polished and pristine. By far though, these are two of the most criminally overlooked cds in the past few years.
Now that the history lesson is over, let's move on to the subject at hand, their latest and debut for Earache Records, Under A Stone With No Inscription. The progression is stunning, they've taken on a much more complex nature like that of GORGUTS or CRYPTOPSY. There's more discordant melodies present than on their previous releases, a pleasant surprise and hence the comparisons. The album starts out in train wreck fashion, they effortlessly shift from a midtempo to blasts during "Shackled To Guilt." This track sets the pace for everything that follows, super technical, yet cohesive.
"A Problem Yet To Be Solved" continues the aggression, but if you listen closely, there are some really interesting melodic things going on. It's more like a mathematical equation to be solved, if you ask me! The main riff to "Entropy Within" is fairly catchy, at least in comparison to everything found here. It soon twists off into a swirling whirlpool of madness that will likely go over many novice metal listeners' heads. There's some really fine tapping around the 2:45 mark that just grabs me by the fucking balls and refuses to let go until I cough up a testicle and declare ANATA my new masters. Ok, I give!!!
A moment to catch my breath and "Dance To The Song Of Apathy" begins, laying waste to all within sonic reach. The drumming on this track, particularly the cymbal work, is very impressive. Next up is one of my favorite songs here, "Sewerages Of The Mind." Intricate guitar runs, even more insane drum fills and all out vocal assault make this one shine. When it slows for a moment around the 3:20 mark, I'm caught like a fish, hook, line and sinker!
The SLAYER-esque beginning of "Built On Sand" follows perfectly, thrashing about wildly and really leaves the listener wondering where the maze is headed next. With more blasts than a poor soul who just ate two plates worth of Tex-Mex, they just keep on killing! "Under The Debris" has another one of those riffs where the riff itself is slow at times, but they play this insane grind tempo over it. In one word... punishing.
"The Drowning" starts with a sickening scream and is by far one of the faster songs on Under A Stone... I like the midsection found at the 1:45 mark. A slow, ala MORBID ANGEL moment, one of those hellbent Azagthoth styled riffs that we've all come to know and love. It lasts for less than a minute before we are obliterated once again by the song's main tempo. The hi-hat, snarework on "Leaving The Spirit Behind" is top notch, really succeeding in taking the riff and just getting down and dirty with it.
ANATA wrap it all up with "Any Kind Of Magic Or Miracle," a seven minute epic of all that is deathly complicated. In the span of this seven minutes, they cover virtually every speed explored throughout the duration of this opus of extremity. They even mellow out around the 4:30 mark!
Ending on an incredibly high note, Under A Stone With No Inscription begins my 2004 with a bang, making it the record to beat so far this year. 2003 may have been the year for countless "-core" bands, but I promise ANATA's latest chews up those bands, swallows and then regurgitates them on to the sidewalk to be stepped upon by all of mankind.
Forget about DEICIDE, DECAPITATED, THE CHASM and whatnot, ANATA is Earache Records best kept secret of 2004.
PJ
1. Shackled To Guilt
2. A Problem Yet To Be Solved
3. Entropy Within
4. Dance To The Song Of Apathy
5. Sewerages Of The Mind
6. Built On Sand
7. Under The Debris
8. The Drowning
9. Leaving The Spirit Behind
10. Any Kind Of Magic Or Miracle
Label: Wicked World
Release date: 2003
Artist site: http://www.varberg.se/~drake/
GRADE:
10/10
I stumbled onto ANATA about three or four years ago, the only release they had was 1998's The Infernal Depths Of Hatred, released on Season of Mist. A collection of eight thrashlike blasts of epic death metal, this release was but a taste of what was to come. If my memory serves me correctly, at least one of the band members was still in high school! Highly recommended to anyone who hasn't heard it, but onward!
Word spread throughout the underground, and in 2001 Season Of Mist licensed their follow up, Dreams Of Death And Dismay to Relapse Records, thus making it much easier to get stateside. That album continued in the direction of its predecessor, only this time even more polished and pristine. By far though, these are two of the most criminally overlooked cds in the past few years.
Now that the history lesson is over, let's move on to the subject at hand, their latest and debut for Earache Records, Under A Stone With No Inscription. The progression is stunning, they've taken on a much more complex nature like that of GORGUTS or CRYPTOPSY. There's more discordant melodies present than on their previous releases, a pleasant surprise and hence the comparisons. The album starts out in train wreck fashion, they effortlessly shift from a midtempo to blasts during "Shackled To Guilt." This track sets the pace for everything that follows, super technical, yet cohesive.
"A Problem Yet To Be Solved" continues the aggression, but if you listen closely, there are some really interesting melodic things going on. It's more like a mathematical equation to be solved, if you ask me! The main riff to "Entropy Within" is fairly catchy, at least in comparison to everything found here. It soon twists off into a swirling whirlpool of madness that will likely go over many novice metal listeners' heads. There's some really fine tapping around the 2:45 mark that just grabs me by the fucking balls and refuses to let go until I cough up a testicle and declare ANATA my new masters. Ok, I give!!!
A moment to catch my breath and "Dance To The Song Of Apathy" begins, laying waste to all within sonic reach. The drumming on this track, particularly the cymbal work, is very impressive. Next up is one of my favorite songs here, "Sewerages Of The Mind." Intricate guitar runs, even more insane drum fills and all out vocal assault make this one shine. When it slows for a moment around the 3:20 mark, I'm caught like a fish, hook, line and sinker!
The SLAYER-esque beginning of "Built On Sand" follows perfectly, thrashing about wildly and really leaves the listener wondering where the maze is headed next. With more blasts than a poor soul who just ate two plates worth of Tex-Mex, they just keep on killing! "Under The Debris" has another one of those riffs where the riff itself is slow at times, but they play this insane grind tempo over it. In one word... punishing.
"The Drowning" starts with a sickening scream and is by far one of the faster songs on Under A Stone... I like the midsection found at the 1:45 mark. A slow, ala MORBID ANGEL moment, one of those hellbent Azagthoth styled riffs that we've all come to know and love. It lasts for less than a minute before we are obliterated once again by the song's main tempo. The hi-hat, snarework on "Leaving The Spirit Behind" is top notch, really succeeding in taking the riff and just getting down and dirty with it.
ANATA wrap it all up with "Any Kind Of Magic Or Miracle," a seven minute epic of all that is deathly complicated. In the span of this seven minutes, they cover virtually every speed explored throughout the duration of this opus of extremity. They even mellow out around the 4:30 mark!
Ending on an incredibly high note, Under A Stone With No Inscription begins my 2004 with a bang, making it the record to beat so far this year. 2003 may have been the year for countless "-core" bands, but I promise ANATA's latest chews up those bands, swallows and then regurgitates them on to the sidewalk to be stepped upon by all of mankind.
Forget about DEICIDE, DECAPITATED, THE CHASM and whatnot, ANATA is Earache Records best kept secret of 2004.
PJ
