Review Summary: A masterpiece in technical death metal that manages to wear its influences on its sleeve without sounding forced.
“Reward in advance, lies in self-fulfillment, I levitate by serving only myself, to rise above all, I tread the souls of the weak”
Technical death metal is one of my favorite styles of music. When it comes to tech-death, in my eyes, bands must have something to make their work stand out from the others, which is the problem with bands like Beneath the Massacre. It ends up being nothing but technical display, without any real substance, standout elements, or anything truly memorable. That’s where groups like Sweden’s Anata step in. Anata’s lineup on this album is:
Fredrik Schalin: Vocals/Guitar
Andreas Allenmark: Guitar
Henrik Drake: Bass
Robert Petersson: Drums
What we have on Anata’s debut is an album which manages to display a stunning amount of technical proficiency and free-flowing, almost progressive song structures, whilst having an impeccable sense of melody, yet never losing touch with death metal’s core brutality. The standout element in this album would have to be the guitar work. The dizzying, labyrinthine riffs and melodies on display here draw from various influences, ranging from Morbid Angel, Early At The Gates, and even Dissection-esque melodic black metal! There’s an almost progressive sensibility to the riffing, which manifests itself in a similar fashion to what is seen on the first At the Gates album, only in a more technical manner. Yet they never sound as if they are trying to impress us. The riffs and melodies all flow smoothly and are very memorable, holding a strong emotional anchor not often seen in death metal bands. Unlike the future albums, solos are kept to a minimum and only seem to amount to whammy bar shredding, but the shortage of solos is only a minor problem as the sheer epic quality of the lead melodies makes up for it. Vocals are handled by guitarist Fredrik Schalin, and he boasts two vocal styles: a throaty, hellish growl, and a more raspy, black metallish howl, the latter of which is mostly unused in their sound today. The rhythm section is able to hold their own as well, with Henrik’s basslines holding a solid foundation to develop the guitar lines with. The drumming is top notch, though his brother would eventually outshine him on later albums. His playing style is much rawer and sloppier than Conny’s style, but I say it fits this albums pretty damn well.
It’s their ability to play their instruments in a technically proficient manner and wear all of their influences on their sleeves without sounding forced that makes this album such a standout. The opening track Released When You Are Dead is more of a typical death metal song, full of catchy riffs and shredding solos, with a sludgy riff in the middle that recalls Blessed are the Sick. Under Azure Skies carries itself with volleys of emotionally powerful, melodic tremolo riffs juxtaposed with stunning clean guitar sections that make for five and a half minutes of epic death metal. Vast Lands/Infernal Gates manages to make beauty out of sheer harmonic dissonance, something that few bands in extreme metal can accomplish, while the shorter Let The Heavens Hate rides on constant waves of soaring yet blistering melodic death metal melodies that manage to defy the stereotypical Gothenburg melodies with their technicality. Dethrone the Hypocrites and Aim Not at the Kingdom High are the most “progressive” songs on the album, as they manage to swing through many different tempos, moods, and atmospheres, all the while creating webs of beautiful melodies and aggressive, epic riffing. Slain Upon His Altar is the darkest song on the album and boasts a noticeable black metal influence in the cold, Dissection style melodies mixed with melancholy clean guitar lines. The most epic song on the album, however, is the seven minute long Those Who Lick The Wounds of Christ. Sporting a somber, sorrowful atmospheric section at the beginning, the song dives into a tailspin of passionate, melodic riffing that almost invokes a sense of hope, yes, hope.
When someone tries to say that technical death metal is nothing but soulless wankery and has nothing memorable, let them hear albums like this one to prove them wrong. Anata are one of the top bands in technical death metal, and it’s not hard to see why on this album, and they continue to blow metalheads away on their next albums as well. A powerful start to one of death metal’s most unique bands.
