Album Review: Anaal Nathrakh - 'Desideratum'

Despite the dark and cheesy press release naming Anaal Nathrakh as the “soundtrack for Armageddon, the audial essence of evil, hatred and violence, the true spirit of necro taken to its musical extremes,” these guys really know how to produce some important extreme metal with their past releases pleasing fans accordingly. New album, ‘Desideratum,’ further builds on past releases and shows a technical, layered side to extreme metal.

The intro, an instrumental track, immediately builds up the suspense and tension along with creating an eerie atmosphere with its samples. What it works to achieve is setting up the album before we are thrown into ‘Unleash,’ a fitting title to a track that blends the ferocity of the grinding, black metal the group is known and loved for producing.

The vocals hold a lot of emphasis throughout as the extremity and varying styles add freshness. There is everything from shrieks, deep growls to cleans. The vocal hooks are strong, with tracks like ‘Idol’ blasting choruses backed up by solid riffs. If anybody knows how to pull off solid extreme vocals it is these guys.

The production, as a whole, is also significant. There are some electronics, samples and distorted guitars but despite that everything is clear cut. With samples and keyboards featured an industrial vibe is bought into the mix of this prominent and aforementioned extreme metal and there are even some more melodic moments sprinkled throughout. This combination of sounds makes for an interesting and diverse record that works pretty well.

'Desideratum' manages to draw some cross overs between extreme metal, black metal and even some industrial elements with great success. It is brutal, aggressive and everything that extreme metal should be with a great production.

01. Acheronta Movebimus

02. Unleash

03. Monstrum In Animo

04. The One Thing Needful

05. A Firm Foundation Of Unyielding Despair

06. Desideratum

07. Idol

08. Sub Specie Aeterni (Of Maggots And Humanity)

09. The Joystream

10. Rage And Red [feat. Niklas Kvarforth]

11. Ita Mori