« Descent into the Maelstrom »
Vic Records
2014
Emerging from the Netherlands, ANARCHOS churn and pummel their way through their first official EP, Descent into the Maelstrom. Following their demo released in 2012, Tortured Beyond Death, the five piece certainly bookmark fellow countrymen, HAIL OF BULLETS and like minded musicians in their musical approach. Playing a traditional style of Death Metal, ANARCHOS do check all the right boxes and lead the listener down a familiar road, albeit with an added touch of panache!
Anointing the Sick kicks off the five song album with charged determination and force! Sounding similar to latter-day GRAVE, the guitar tone and riffing style firmly plant the band beside similar acts. Often the pounding blast beat will placate much of the drive, particularly in Morbid Ways to Decay, The Great Black Death and Tales of the Mutilated Remains but there are subtle moments where ANARCHOS venture into slow, infectious, chuggy hooks that vary in tempo, which is what sets the album apart from other mundane bands, sounding too alike. Sarggeburt, for example, begins epically with its simple doom riff and « syrupy » snare drum hits before falling into a barrage of Swedish sounding arias and shifting momentum. With scores of acts playing the same well-worn path, Descent into the Maelstrom hasn’t re-invented the wheel but for fans of GRAVE, HAIL OF BULLETS, and early THANATOS, the EP will be well appreciated, due in large part to its writing and irregular pace. Hook-laden and aurally contagious, ANARCHOS have something interesting here that hopefully they can capitalize on for their debut full length and build upon!
Standout Tracks: The Great Black Death, Sarggeburt
7/10
Chris
