Wow, I didn't see this one coming! I had precious little expectation of Echoes of the Fallen having never heard their debut album The Age of Silence (something that needs rectifying immediately) but I have to admit to being somewhat blown away by Anterior. Hailing from Tredegar in South Wales they must be the most exciting young talent on the Metal blade roster combining elements of thrash, melodic death metal with the odd progressive feature as well as some utterly superlative guitar work.
I listened to Echoes of the Fallen in the car one Sunday morning and found myself exceeding the speed limit by quite a bit such was the ferocity of the music in tracks such as "Tyranny" and "By Haunted Horror". I mean this in a good way as generally I hate driving and this album made me foget that I was doing something I loathe.
Anybody who likes guitar-based rock and has a pulse will appreciate this record even if you don't appreciate the gruff vocals, and the opening one/two combination of "To Live Not Remain" and "Blood in the Throne Room" is one of the most exciting opening salvos I've experienced in quite a while. Anterior are clearly a band to watch out for.
Track Listing:
1. "To Live Not Remain" - 4:42
2. "Blood In The Throne Room" - 5:08
3. "Tyranny" - 5:02
4. "Of Gods And Men" - 4:44
5. "By Horror Haunted" - 4:36
6. "Echoes Of The Fallen" - 1:27
7. "The Evangelist" - 3:57
8. "Sleep Soundly No More" - 5:11
9. "Venomous" - 4:12
10. "Senora De Las Sombras" - 5:24