Danish progressive metal act Anubis Gate are back with their ninth studio release, Interference, their first for No Dust Records after many years on Lance King's Nightmare Records. Interesting that they have released a new album this year roughly at the same time as their fellow Denmark buddies Pyramaze, and both have pretty much knocked it out of the park with their newest albums. Interference once again shows that you can write songs that are instantly memorable and contain a wealth of hooks, housing them in arrangements that will thrill and give prog-metal fans what they crave. "Emergence" shows that right out of the gate, Henrik Fevre showing that he's one of the most impressive vocalists in prog-metal with those soaring tones, and damn, this song is accessible as all hell and hits hard. The moody "Ignorance is Bliss" is another great vehicle for the singer, as the track builds and builds to a crunchy second half with Fevre soaring over the top, while more furious pieces like "Number Stations" and "The Intergalactic Dream of Stardom" feature plenty of instrumental ensemble playing to go along with his mighty vocals. What's additionally great about this band is their desire to go into fairly commercial waters, yet still sound 'metal' as on "The Phoenix" and "Equations", two tracks that remind me of some of the more hook laden songs from the most recent Haken album. Their ability to go all 'epic' on us though remains their absolute strength, which you fully get on the majestic title track...great stuff.
At 70-minutes, Interference is a long one, but since it's so stocked with catchy hooks and great playing, the album goes by pretty quickly and there's never a boring moment. If you are looking for a new progressive metal album to latch onto here in 2023, this veteran Danish band have one you'll surely enjoy.
Track Listing
- Emergence
- Ignorance Is Bliss
- Number Stations
- The Phoenix
- Equations
- Dissonance Consonance
- The Intergalactic Dream Of Stardom
- World Of Clay
- Interference
- Absence