Black Anvil: Hail Death

There's been a bit of positive press lately (promotional stuff, mostly) about Black Anvil's cover of Kiss's "Under the Rose." The praise is well deserved: not only is the cover superb, it gives the classic song a slightly harder edge. It's worth a listen. I think even die-hard Kiss fans will like it.

Fortunately, there's much more to love about this album than its strong Kiss cover. Take, for instance, the band's engaging songwriting abilities and their obvious mastery of Blackened Death Metal. The best songs on this album are put together with the kind of bombast and technical proficiency that makes extreme metal so much fun. Just listen to the opening track "Still Reborn." It opens with a classical guitar section that is both haunting and strong. Instead of serving as a simple introduction, the kind that gets blown away by the inevitable force of the heavy metal itself, the classical guitar section actually establishes the song's melody, one that is not forgotten as the song moves forward. Black Anvil, for all their heaviness, understands the grounding power of melody.

Another highlight, "Next Level Black," shows off the band's ability to construct a longer song. This track, clocking in at just less than twelve minutes, comes together perfectly, each section building on the last. Sometimes long tracks like this just drag things out, as if the band members didn't know what else to do but keep repeating the same jam, the same groove. Not here. Black Anvil puts things together with obvious skill and proficiency.

This band knows how to put together a good song; they also give fans nothing less than heavy and extreme metal. I've already commented on the band's ability to infuse melody into their tracks. I find that admirable. I especially loved the way the band members often sing together, giving the music not only a choral-like quality, but also something that sometimes takes on the quality of a chant. I'm thinking specifically of the conclusion to "N," but there are other places where the singing blends together to generate power and interest. The main vocals, performed by Paul Delaney, are always strong and fierce, but they are effectively balanced by the power of the guitars, bass, and drums. Extreme vocals are great but they grow tiresome when bands fail to alternate them with other things.

In case I haven't been clear enough: this is a powerful album, one of the best albums of its kind I've heard lately. The music is multi-layered and performed with obvious talent and power. As we say, this is the real deal, folks. For those unfamiliar with Black Anvil, come for the Kiss cover but stick around—this is original and near-perfect death metal.

Track Listing:
1. Still Reborn
2. Redemption Through Blood
3. Eventide
4. Seven Stars Unseen
5. G.N.O.N.
6. Until the End
7. My Hate is Pure
8. N
9. Next Level Black
10. Under the Rose (Kiss Cover)

Added: July 22nd 2014
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2204
Language: english

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