Album Review: Desecravity – Anathema (Willowtip Records)

A heavyweight of the technical death metal scene, Desecravity are back with their brand new album entitled, Anathema. Out now via Willowtip Records.

The Japanese band lay waste to everything with Anathema, an eight track album of bruising heaviness, hyper technical riffing and enough wild moments to leave many a listener startled. Although if you knew nothing by them you wouldn’t expect that with the uplifting and atmospheric string opener of Aeon and Ashes. Fear not, it’s a short intro quickly followed by the razing of guitars that dance around every note as if possessed.

It’s utter chaos but appealing chaos as the intensity shifts from one moment to another with Impure Confrontation and Ominous Harbinger hitting a one-two punch with force. The breakneck speed is enough to leave you disoriented but very content.

After hitting the mark with a more traditional sounding death metal track, Desecravity return with all the complex force they have for Deprivation of Liberty. A perverse song of destructive riffing, gut-tightening bass, pin-point drumming and horrid guttural vocals. It’s madness personified into a track and it is bloody excellent.

How do you follow that? By going even harder and faster with Bloodthirsty Brutes and even more chaotic on Secret Disloyalty. Forget the house being on fire, Desecravity have set the entire neighbourhood ablaze!

To really appreciate Anathema you’re going to have to give it multiple listens and only then will you be able to hear the intricate details buried inside an album that wows from beginning to end. An end that comes with the most rhythmic sounding groove of the entire album before unleashing hell upon every living thing.

Desecravity- Anathema Full Track Listing:

1. Aeon and Ashes
2. Impure Confrontation
3. Ominous Harbinger
4. Deprivation of Liberty
5. Bloodthirsty Brutes
6. Secret Disloyalty
7. Devoured the Psyche
8. Beheaded White Queen