ANAGNORISIS : ALPHA AND OMEGA
Unsigned
Hailing from America’s Midwest, Anagnorisis are a relatively new symphonic extreme metal act, who have recently followed up their 2007 debut “Overton Trees” with a punchy, polished EP that goes by the title of “Alpha and Omega”. The scope and depth of this band is instantly impressive, and the quality of the three tracks on offer here, in terms of both song-writing and production, is way beyond the expected level for a band at this stage in their career. Ok, so Alan Douches touched up their first album, but they appear to wrangled the sound on “Alpha and Omega” largely by themselves, and have done a perfect job on it.
In terms of musical approach, a surface listen gives the impression of a big, symphonic black metal band, with the mixture of dramatic keys and thunderous, weighty guitars at the beginning of opener “When Oppression Awoke Tyranny” evoking Dimmu Borgir. While a lot of young American bands walk faithfully in Shagrath and co’s footsteps with no small amount of flair, Anagnorisis cannot be lumped in with them. Given a more careful consideration, it doesn’t take long to get a feel for the brutal death metal influence that colours their approach so bloodily, particularly on the stand-out “Shadow of the Adversary”, with its chugging, tight guitar work.
The leads, too, have a very different flavour to them; at times it’s a screaming, ultra-modern flavour that will polarise opinion, but for the most apart they’re all about the building of accessible but powerful melody, which drives the tracks rather than serving as ornament. The tightness and aggression of the song structures, as well as the runaway talent of each individual band member, reminds me of the Montana-based outfit Martriden, although Anagnorisis’ ambition stretches in a slightly different direction, nurturing Nordic symphony and leaning on synths rather more.
In all, this is a remarkably impressive piece of symphonic black metal, infused with a modern, death-oriented outlook and notable for both its energy and its polish. The high level of musicianship and subtle, understated usage of the more modern elements of their sound bodes well for Anagnorisis, who have the potential for a very wide appeal. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you sample this “Alpha and Omega” and then keep careful watch for a follow-up full-length; we’ll be hearing the name again.
77/100
ELLEN SIMPSON
