Anguish - Through The Archdemon's Head - review

Index | Updates | Popular | Queue | RSS | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Anguish - Through The Archdemon's Head - review

Cover image of the reviewed item
Band
Anguish
Album
Through The Archdemon's Head
Style
Doom metal
Release date
February 14, 2012
Reviewer
8.2
7.0
Tracklist
01. (Intro) Through The Archdemons Head
02. Book Of Fox
03. When The Ancients Dare To Walk
04. Dawn Of Doom
05. Lair Of The Gods
06. Illusive Damnation
07. The Veil
08. Morbid Castle
A review by
Doc G.
February 12, 2012
Yes. Totally awesome. Old school traditional doom metal with a personality of its own? Hell yes. Despite being somewhat derivative, Anguish managed to have found themselves an incredibly distinct sound.

Everything on Through The Archdemons Head is good and raw, in a campy, old-school sort of way. Take riffs similar to that of Candlemass, then combine them with vocals similar to some first wave black metal type vocals. Sort of a Cronos/Quorthon type thing going on on the vocal front I guess you could say. The end result? It's fucking evil sounding of course, and that's how Anguish really shine through with their own flavour. This a great example of the whole picture being better than the individual parts; if I had heard an instrumental version of this album, and had to match the riffs with the best fitting vocals, I don't think I could have made a better choice than these folks did. The whole picture is dark and menacing, despite each of the individual pieces being somewhat unoriginal and unremarkable standing on their own.

...And here's where it gets conflicting. Yes, it is noticeably derivative, but on the other hand it is recognizable. In other words, when this pops on your Ipod on shuffle mix tape, you're not going to have to take a double-check to see who it is you're listening to. When considering the battle this album goes through with "I've heard this all before" vs "these guys are pretty distinct", Anguish luckily have the chops to come out on the positive side.
Written on 12.02.2012 by
Doc G.
Written on 12.02.2012 by
Doc G.
Former EIC. Now just a reviewer guy.
More reviews by Doc G. ››

Comments

‹‹ Back to Reviews
Comments: 9 Visited by 141 users
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Elite

Posts: 40071
Permalink
12.02.2012 - 15:23
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Elite

Posts: 40071


Can't wait to hear this full-length. Reserved the demo earlier this week and that one promises a lot.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
Boxcar Willy
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Posts: 9566
Permalink
12.02.2012 - 16:45
Boxcar Willy
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Posts: 9566


I like foxes.
----
14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
Loading...
Unhealer
Eclecticist

Posts: 2311
Permalink
12.02.2012 - 18:53
Unhealer
Eclecticist

Posts: 2311


Didn't catch the whole sound of the band with this review, but I just checked some songs on YT and I'm still on it.

And you are right, those vocals are a perfect marriage with this old-schoolish doom. Me gusta, me gusta.
Loading...

Posts: 677
Permalink
12.02.2012 - 21:34
Rating: 8

Posts: 677


This album is fucking stupendous. The amount of great old school/traditional stuff this year is already staggering.
----
My lo-fi synth project: http://luciddreamer.bandcamp.com
Loading...
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Permalink
27.03.2012 - 17:30
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
I love this album. Even the vocals grew on me (or rather I don't really register them any more). I hope too many people don't judge a book by its cover because that cover art is hideous.
Loading...
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Elite

Posts: 40071
Permalink
27.03.2012 - 17:37
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Elite

Posts: 40071


Written by [user id=4365] on 27.03.2012 at 17:30

I love this album. Even the vocals grew on me (or rather I don't really register them any more). I hope too many people don't judge a book by its cover because that cover art is hideous.

I actually find the cover artwork charming in its simplistic ways.

Read the first paragraph here http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=21131&lang=en
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Permalink
27.03.2012 - 17:39
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 27.03.2012 at 17:37


I actually find the cover artwork charming in its simplistic ways.

Read the first paragraph here http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=21131&lang=en

Yep, they definitely seem to have an affinity for foxes, which is quite cool in its own right. I just find the artwork very, I dunno, sloppy.
Loading...
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Elite

Posts: 40071
Permalink
27.03.2012 - 17:42
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Elite

Posts: 40071


Written by [user id=4365] on 27.03.2012 at 17:39

Yep, they definitely seem to have an affinity for foxes, which is quite cool in its own right. I just find the artwork very, I dunno, sloppy.

In Solitude's vocalist as well, who is also in Katalysator/Invidious and guess where he is from?

I actually enjoy the slopiness in the artwork it quiyte fits the music which is also quite sloppy at times and it doesn't come across as processed as so much other cover art
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Permalink
27.03.2012 - 17:44
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 27.03.2012 at 17:42


In Solitude's vocalist as well, who is also in Katalysator/Invidious and guess where he is from?

I actually enjoy the slopiness in the artwork it quiyte fits the music which is also quite sloppy at times and it doesn't come across as processed as so much other cover art

I can give them that, it's as far away from the shiny-shopped artwork of modern day bands as you can get.
Loading...

Hits total: 5070 | This month: 1