Anubis Gate - A Perfect Forever [2005]

With Purification, Anubis Gate was born, but with A Perfect Forever we see the band utilize more ideas and aim a little higher, resulting in a crucial evolutionary stage in the band's history. This is still not the crystalline power prog behemoth they would become, but the spectacular display of delights brought to the table in this far-reaching release remains staggering. The result is a record that, while not being a significant departure, still feels as if it were crafted by the same band that would make The Detached four years later; and I couldn't say that for Purification.

The guitar tone on A Perfect Forever is their thickest ever, which helps when they create pulse-pounding rhythms. Of course, Anubis Gate has never really been about the sheer riff content. Their sublime quality lies within the atmosphere, an integral aspect of each of the band's albums. The same is true of this one. Things are a bit "brighter" here than on the brooding and decidedly doomy Purification, but the emotional depth and volume of the piece has not suffered. If anything, A Perfect Forever is aided by it. This feeling is probably created by the subtle use of synths and electronic elements, an aspect of the group that would become the basis for their later masterworks. They find a compellingly organic middle ground between heaviness and airy melody, between straightforward songwriting and technicality, and between the dark and the light.

The songs are (predictably) spot on, condensing an eternal spring of artistic brilliance into 5-7 minute intervals. This album may contain the band's strongest one-two punch ever with "Sanctified" and "Kingdom Come." Within thirty seconds of the album's beginning, the listener is greeted with one of the most beauteous riffs the world has ever known, a melodic spiral replete with optimism and energy. At this point in "Sanctified" it should be clear that something special is in store for us. "Kingdom Come" is the most accessible piece here, and the shortest of the actual songs. That excellent (and almost AOR-carved) chorus is reminiscent of Pagan's Mind's recent effort, Heavenly Ecstasy; even Askholm almost sounds like a lower-pitched Nils K. Rue here. It's a simple track that excels on its few fronts. Some more notable moments on the record's first half include the strong Egyptian influence of "Future Without Past" and Henrik Fevre's higher-register vocals on the verses of "Curfew."

My favorite song from the latter half of A Perfect Forever is "Epitome of Delusion," a lighter track that builds into one of the catchiest damn choruses I've ever heard. Add that to the fact that the song contains what is probably Askholm's best performance, and this becomes another huge winner. The album concludes with the title track, a 12 minute escapade that's no where near as challenging as you'd think. The structure is basically one composition surgically inserted into another; the first part does its thing, then the second, and after a long instrumental break, the refrain from the first part is played again to remind you that it's really just one song. It doesn't feel quite like an epic should, and the first part is surprisingly weak, but the refrain of the second phase of the piece is so good that it makes the song worth sitting through. The lyrics evoke true importance through each and every word.

"In the safety of our homes
A perfect forever
In the closeness of dear ones
A perfect forever
Somewhere in the future
A perfect forever
Our proudest structures fall
Nothing stands forever
But I’d like to be proven wrong"

In case you still haven't gotten the memo, Anubis Gate is here to stay, crafting visions you could otherwise only experience in your wildest dreams. It could be argued exactly what style of music the band has played during its two eras, but the only important and ever-apparent detail is that it has always been intelligent and moving. Their entire discography is one you can't afford to miss, and last time I checked, A Perfect Forever is a part of their discography, so what are you waiting for?

   Overall: 9/10 (Outstanding)