ALBUM REVIEW: Merciless Savagery – AntropomorphiA

With 2017’s Sermon Ov Wrath, Dutch blackened death metallers ANTROPOMORPHIA unleashed arguably the strongest album of their career. The songwriting was tighter, and more imaginitive, the riffs were more brutal, the melodies more unsettling – they were truly on top of their game. Now, only two years on from their magnum opus, ANTROPOMORPHIA are back yet again with Merciless Savagery, courtesy of Metal Blade Records. But do the Dutch purveyors of the extreme have it in them to top Sermon Ov Wrath, or are they destined to remain in the mid-tier of extreme metal?

Though the outfit formed in 1989, ANTROPOMORPHIA released only one full-length album, 1998’s Pure, alongside an EP and a couple of demos before breaking up in 1999. They would not return until 2009, a decade after the split, and it wasn’t until 2012 they released their sophomore album and Metal Blade Records debut, Evangelivm Nerkomantia. Evangelivm Nerkomantia was not the blistering come back ANTROPOMORPHIA hoped for, feeling disjointed and hit-or-miss, but it did show some promise. It wasn’t until 2014’s Rites Ov Perversion that they started to really hit their stride, culminating in their magnum opus, the previously mentioned Sermon Ov Wrath. Merciless Savagery sees ANTROPOMORPHIA continue down the same path, with a melodic black metal influence sprinkled in among the death metal ferocity, offering up hooks and brutality in equal measure.

ANTROPOMORPHIA hit hard right from the offset with Merciless Savagery‘s crushing title track, showcasing a mix of furious melodic black metal and death metal riffs that are guaranteed to appeal to those who appreciate the Swedish style of both genres. Mericless Savagery delivers a simple, but ten ton heavy chorus, and at just under four minutes, it’s one of the shorter tracks on the record – it kicks things off, gets in and gets out quickly, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Requiem Diabolica flies by, driven forward by the tremolo riffing that is a mainstay of Merciless Savagery as a whole before video single Womb Ov Thorns comes hurtling in, stealing the spotlight. Here, we see ANTROPOMORPHIA at their best, seamlessly swinging between the black and death metal influences of their sound, culminating in a devastating blast of blackened death metal.

Just shy of seven minutes, Cathedral Ov Tombs stands as the longest track on Merciless Savagery. Diving in with a down-tempo, lumbering death metal riff, ANTROPOMORPHIA inject an infectious swing to the track, before ramping back into their melodic black metal leanings. Progressing into the second half of the track, rumbling double bass leads the song onward while soaring lead work demands your attention. Wailing Chorus Ov The Damned serves as the strongest competitor for Womb Ov Thorns‘ place as Merciless Savagery‘s strongest offering, easing in with a subdued, but sinister, intro before ramping up into the tremolo driven onslaught that has become so integral to their sound. This is perhaps where we see ANTROPOMORPHIA drive hardest into their death metal influences, with the track sounding not too dissimilar to the classic early ’90s death metal movements.

Single Luciferian Tempest offers a slight touch of diversity for ANTROPOMORPHIA while still remaining true to the band’s blackened death metal stylings. Here, we see even more melody brought into play, and the subtle use of operatic vocals from Farida Lemouchi really help the track stand above much of Merciless Savagery. Closing one-two of The Darkest Light and Unsettling Voices keep true to the formula, but end the album on a strong note. The Darkest Light slices its way through it’s 4:44 run time while the climatic Unsettling Voices brings a degree of atmosphere and crushing, Floridan death metal brutality to close the album.

It’s hard to say whether Merciless Savagery surpasses Sermon Ov Wrath – but it’s definitely on par. Here, ANTROPOMORPHIA have taken things in a more apocalyptic direction, maintaining the tight, imaginative songwriting but injecting it with healthy doses of black metal and dissonance. From the opening moment of Merciless Savagery, we are treated to a selection of riffs straight from the DISSECTION playbook, mixing that lean, cold style of tremolo playing with slabs of crushing groove and brutality. Though at times the tremolo riffs lack variation and become a bit repetitive, there’s no doubt ANTROPOMORPHIA are on top form, continuing the brilliance of Sermon Ov Wrath excellently.

Rating: 8/10

Merciless Savagery is out now via Metal Blade Records. 

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