Friday, June 1, 2012

Anhedonist - Netherwards [2012]


Y'know, I think everybody has an Anhedonist experience every once in a while. Netherwards is that album I bought with deaf ears and an unhealthy urge to spend money I didn't really possess after reading only one random positive review on the internet. I waited for it to arrive, got it, listened to it once with only mild interest then put it on the shelf where it would gather dust for roughly one entire month. Then, out of random chance and serious boredom (possibly with some procrastination in there too), I picked it back up only to discover one of the most massive and intensely rewarding musical encounters I'd ever experienced. It's happened before, it'll happen again, and I always freaking love it. So it goes.

Anyways, now that the life story is over, enter Anhedonist, a recently formed death/doom juggernaut. Imagine that movie 127 hours condensed into forty minutes of equal pain, except that you've gotten your arm lodged into a dark underwater cavern and the nightmarish dwellers of said purgatory are tearing you limb from limb, allowing you to live only to suffer. Yeah, it's kind of a downer. In musical terms, it's not so much horribly abrasive as it is devastatingly painstaking. With each crawling, desolate riff, it drains the lifeforce of the listener faster than the band plays its music. People love to throw words like 'atmosphere' around--I've been guilty, sure--but when you're enveloped by these melancholic tomb-like tones, tortured bellows and screams in tow, then you might consider acquiring an extra nightlight. So, book a psychologist in advance and lets get rolling...

Netherwards is made up of just four tracks, thoroughly lumbering through various shades, most of which evoking dark and evil feelings. The simple but effective lyrics obsess upon death and hatred of an elegant nature, never devolving into crude gore lyrics or the standard joys of killing. Interestingly, sorrow plays third fiddle to horror and ancient prose in these parts, directly contradicting the emotionally haunting music itself. However, that's not to say that Anhedonist never dwell upon terror in their auditory summoning. The faster paced bits, most prevalent in opener "Saturnine," wreak exceptional havoc in this way, and I'd be remiss not to mention the paralyzing last two minutes of "Carne Liberatus," which instantly cause the temperature in the room to drop by fifty degrees as V.B.'s woeful moaning depicts a dying giant's return to the bitter soil. Holy hell, excuse me while I get a blanket.

Anhedonist's most successful composition is ironically its only foray into undiluted depression. "Estrangement" is a highlight within a homogeneous concoction of highlights. It's unbelievable. Breathtaking. Building on an almost Warning-like melodic riff (which can never be a bad thing), the sweeping sorrow is immediately evident. It wavers on before reaching an even darker state of misery, searing with leads that rival the archaic antiquity of Septic Flesh's early records. Despite this, it only climaxes halfway through when the vocals break into eerie, bloodcurdling shrieks and the unforgettable chorus proceeds to possess your soul. The band manages to break into a sudden burst of speed whilst remaining depressive, something I've rarely found in doom metal. Once again, V.B.'s vocal hybrid of brute force and emotive lyricism creates an unearthly aura, transforming a simply kick ass song into a spine-chilling masterwork. "CAAASST INTO IMAGINED EXIIILE!" Unforgettable.

And to think that's only one fourth of the material included. Had the entire record been replete with quality of the same ilk as "Estrangement," surely the space-time continuum would have unraveled and I wouldn't be writing this review right now, but I shouldn't take any credit from the rest of the proceedings. "Saturnine" brings the record to life slowly with ripples of water, from which emerges the murky, decrepit initial riff. The song explodes into haste before settling into the pace at which most of the rest of the album moves. "Carne Liberatus" is relatively short and sweet compared to the other tracks, and it also bears the simplest structure apart from the aforementioned lurk that awaits you near its conclusion. Those praying an easy departure from this test of endurance will have to think again, because a staggering fifteen minute beast only known as "Inherent Opprobrium" will have you praying for the dismal end. Of course, I mean this all in the best way possible, though the weak of heart may grow weary of this monolith's relentless doom and gloom.

With this, Netherwards reaches its fatal end, not that my enjoyment of it ever will. Two more elements that only enhanced my adoration for this album are its unexpected level of truly catchy moments and the speed at which it seems to fly by. Seriously, you'd expect such a record to deliver the goods in painfully long increments of time, but in my experience, the treasures of Netherwards are distributed in a continuous flow. Therefore, it never becomes boring for a second. 'Old school' is a classifier I've consciously avoided, since its use always causes a divisive discussion in today's metal scene (which I've frankly grown tired of). Anhedonist does fit into this niche thanks to their suitably raw production values and noticeable influences, yet they offer so much more than another simple tribute to past legends. Components like atmosphere and emotion may be subjective in music, but for what it's worth, this album delivered for me in every conceivable aspect; and for the love of your imaginary deity of choice, at least listen to "Estrangement" just once.

   Overall: 8.75/10 (Great - forfeit the body)

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