Technically Sound
No doubt I'll be cast down as a 'fan boy' by admitting that I knew very little of Anata before this review. I'll be called this for the ridiculous reason that I'm suddenly getting into an extreme metal band who already have a discography under their belt. It would be seen by the extreme metal community that I'm jumping on an extreme metal band-wagon, because I'm not a strict member of the that Extreme sect. This is a ludicrous point of view, and believe me when I say I've been called it several times on forums. Just because a band have received some media recognition, and whose fan base is on the increase, doesn't mean the band are selling out. It is purely down to the band's hard work and song writing skills. For if a band can't gain a larger audience and strive for peer acknowledgement, then why are they bothering with all this music lark? They may as well stay at home in their bedrooms.
The long-winded point I'm trying to make is Anata's new disk, 'The Conductors Departure,' is the band's 4th release, and is quite frankly stunning. But because I've not been with the band from the beginning, my opinion will probably matter little to the fans of extreme music. Having done a little digging for fans reaction on this new opus, the general opinion is divided into two. The first opinion is that of fans who are relatively new to the band. They love, like myself, the sublime technical elements to this disk, the subtle ideas amidst the death metal brutality. The second opinion is that of Anata fans of old, and that it's not as good as their earlier works, in particular 'Under a Stone With No Inscription.' (Great title)
From the outset the guitar wizardry commands the void of space that sits between the speakers and your ears. Strangely chaotic at first, but turning to a riff so catchy that it will have metal core bands such as Killswitch Engage and All That Remains shitting themselves. Not because the afore-mentioned bands sound anything like Anata, but because they could only dream of writing such a killer riff. Music like this really does put current trends into perspective. Anata can shit more riffs than perhaps the whole of metal core and nu-metal put together. In the opener 'Downward Spiral Into Madness,' the taste of what's to come really knocks you back on your feet. It is often discordant which sounds like each instrument playing four different songs. But somehow the band has a song building quality that makes such ideas sound clever and cohesive. The slow melodic guitar passage at 2:51 is glorious, especially as it is backed with some fast double kick drumming. Fantastic.
As the disc rolls on and the riffs keep coming, suddenly 'Better Grieved Than Fooled' out of nowhere throws in a slow section. It's unexpected but works perfectly, demonstrating that Anata aren't out to write one song ten times. 'The Great Juggler' goes straight for the jugular, and is perhaps the highlight of the album, excellently utilising a chord driven main riff. 'I Would Dream Of Blood' gives the listener a slight change of approach, sounding more sombre than frenetic. However, someone should have told drummer Conny Pettersson, whose work rate has to be heard to be believed, that the song had slowed down. I thought the latest Setherial album 'Death Triumphant' had a drumming master-class on it. On 'The Conductor's Departure,' Conny raises the bar with some fast, innovative percussion, able to throw time changes around like rag doll.
Although not musically, I would place Anata in the same category as Meshuggah. Their innovation, technical prowess and song -writing approach are both unconventional, and as a consequence utterly compelling. Whilst many of Sweden's metal exports are content with churning out half assed melodic death metal, utilising riffs that have been discarded by the likes of In Flames and Soilwork; Anata have produced an album that demonstrates what CAN be done, and maybe should be done, by many bands on the melodic death metal bandwagon. If the extreme metal fans want to cry 'Fan Boy' at this review, then so be it. I know great metal when I hear it, and it would be a great shame if fans left Anata just because their little secret was out.