Band:	Aenygmist
Album:	Creation Born Of Trauma
Style:	Melodic black metal
Release date:	September 2010

01. Élixir
02. Paroxysme
03. Clandestin
04. Rest In Peace
05. Hold In Poisoned Hands
06. Interférences
07. Internal Hemorrhage

Five chicks playing black metal? Well excuse me while I go masturbate.

Blatant sexist humor aside, this is some good shit. And ya, it was released in 2010. So what? I'm a reverse hipster - I like to listen to things after everyone else and shit on it after nobody cares years later. (In all seriousness this is an official review request from a bunch of lovely Canadian ladies, and because we're all so polite here I just couldn't refuse.)

Anyway, have you heard of Cradle Of Filth before? I hear they're a pretty underground band. So I listened to a couple of their songs and have to say they sound a lot like Aenygmist. Only without all the over-the-top theatrics and a more obvious focus on melodic extremity. These guys girls seem to have a bigger chip on their shoulder too, as their compositions are more spite-filled and aggressive.

With that said, their most notable quality is in their ability to write lengthy tracks without repeating themselves over and over. The songs stay fresh with a continuous helping of new riffs. Simply put, they manage to keep things interesting, changing up their pace often and alternating between blackest of the black and Illnath. Not only that, but Vanessa Lapierre Chevarie can seriously shriek. Her pitch is a little on the higher side, but her delivery burrows straight into the depths of Hell. She mixes this up with a beautiful pop-styled clean vocal style from time to time that somehow blends seamlessly in with the music.

Creation Born of Trauma definitely won't win any awards for its originality, but this is a solid debut - structured in typical "epic" black metal format, professionally recorded, and genuine. Personally I would have preferred some kind of atmospheric focus as the straightforward approach becomes a little tedious given the album's 45-minute length, but if they manage to cut the fat from future releases and stick to their guns they just might make a name for themselves.

Too many times all-female bands are stigmatized with the "gimmick" tag, but these chicks are legit.