ALBUM REVIEW: Endarkenment – Anaal Nathrakh

Birmingham based purveyors of extreme metal lunacy ANAAL NATHRAKH have returned with their eleventh effort Endarkenment. When you can boast to have already created some of the best heavy music to be released in the last two decades, expectations will be outrageously high just at the mention of a new release. But as can often be the case after spending so much time firing off such blistering material, could cracks be beginning to show?

ANAAL NATHRAKH blow any doubts about their ability out of the water by bounding out of the gate with the album’s title track which immediately stands among their most memorable material. It melds their utterly scorching fury with the iconic, melodic, vocal driven passages that set them apart from their contemporaries. It manages to be both intense and catchy at the same time, simultaneously scratching the itch for ridiculous heaviness and providing the potential for drunken sing-along.

There are numerous strong points to Endarkenment’s early moments, notably the churning maelstrom of electronic tinted swagger and stop-start juggernaut riffs of Thus, Always To Tyrants. Barely a moment passes before we are dropped into The Age Of Starlight Ends. This track, while not quite so bludgeoning as its predecessor, leans more into Dave Hunt’s enormous vocal melodies which are traded off against soaring guitar work and pummelling mid paced segments. The inclusion of this track is an interesting choice as it feels somewhat brighter than the band’s earlier work, though without compromising on intensity. This motif is continued in the absurdly named Libidinous (A Pig With Cocks In Its Eyes) Which largely does away with their earth shattering speed in favour of precise and effective mid-paced crunch.

That is not to say that they are losing their touch with regard to tempo. The middle segment of Endarkenment brings the fury in a seething, noxious cloud of pulverising brutality, especially and excellently displayed in standout tracks like Create Art, Though the World may Perish and Singularity, which throw out savage riffing across furious drumwork, remaining utterly drenched in misanthropic ambience. They showcase the band taking their creative formula to new heights and proving they are still more than capable of delivering some of the best material of their career.

The twin-pronged assault of Punish Them and monumental closer Requiem is a violent and filthy adrenaline sink from the moment it starts. The former serves to batter the listener into submission, cranking the terrifying yet transfixing structure we have come to know up and over into total madness, whilst the latter is an exercise in the expert melding of everything the band has exhibited so far, providing a staunch reminder of just how they do things and then running out the clock with a haunting and incredibly satisfying outro.

This is an excellent release that comes highly recommended to anyone who has even a passing interest in extreme metal, it is singularly difficult to pick standout moments as the overall quality of the product is impossibly high. It flows brilliantly and sports a rich production that ensures no one element is left behind in the mix and this only highlights the innovation on display.

ANAAL NATHRAKH manage to hold the listeners attention throughout by constantly keeping them guessing. Endarkenment never becomes predictable and each movement is clearly carefully considered for maximum effectiveness. There is a definite sense, particularly in the album’s closing moments, of the presence of an emotional intelligence that betrays more to the album’s character than merely sheer rage. It is a thoughtful and mature entry to a back catalogue already studded with highlights. In a word, fantastic.

Rating: 9/10

Endarkenment is out now via Metal Blade Records. 

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