Paragon Records brings us the latest release from German occult black metal act Anael, titled From Arcane Fires. Seven tracks of epic extreme metal fury, this one is packed to the gills with everything we love about raw, nihilistic black metal, yet there's plenty of melody and atmosphere to go around. What's great about Anael is they don't choose to go the 'full bore speed assault' like some of their contemporaries, tunes like "Devil's Tongues" and "Down Winding Stairs" vehicles for creepy soundcapes just as much as pummeling guitar work and screeching vocals. Guitarist/vocalist Seraphackh really has a handle on things here, his effective riffage seemingly more rooted in death & doom metal, complete with lots of textures, so don't expect and endless onslaught of manic tremolo picked notes, and his vocal attack is quite good, clearly decipherable no matter what style he is singing in. While you can hear some influences of early Rotting Christ or Samael, clearly Anael have defined their own sound, their brand of epic, doomy black metal continuing to grow and mature since their inception earlier this decade. Just listen to "All Souls Night", a pounding, doom-laden slice of atmospheric black metal, vocals so deliciously evil, and riffs so crushingly heavy, that it's completely impossible to ignore. From Arcane Fires is one of those CD's that came into us late in 2008, and had I reviewed this one earlier it would have easily made it somewhere on my Best of 2008 list. Black metal fans, dig in deep and savor this one.
Track Listing
01. Devil's Tongues
02. She Is Ever A Moon
03. Down Winding Stairs
04. Blood And Honey
05. Song Of The Moth
06. All Soul's Night
07. Muspilli
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