Style: Grindcore, black metal, noise
Primary Emotions/Themes: Extermination of life, eradication from existence on a fundamental level, the meaninglessness of life
Thoughts: Run for your life. Something is coming for you... but not just you. It comes for your family. Turn left! Run! Turn Right! Run! Fuck! It's a dead end... it's over.
The beast comes up to you and breathes down my neck. It is savoring its next meal. Taking in the smells of fear and sweat emanating from my body. I shake as reality sets in... these are my last moments on earth. I hold my son close to me and tell him not to look.
The beast takes a step back and prepares for its final strike. I close my eyes and hold onto my son for dear life. This is is, there is nothing after this. I feel the air get disturbed as the creature moves its arm but I feel no pain. I feel nothing, just the gentle wisps of air as they swirl around me. I open my eyes... the creature has not struck me... but my son.
My son looks at me with eyes that once had light in them. That light is now fading. As reality slowly washes over me I wail with the realization of what has happened. Fear turns to anger. Anger turns to hate. Hate turns to murderous rage. I let out an inhuman wail as my son's life starts to fade.
I tell him everything will be ok. It's a cruel joke, we're both going to die here. But I'll be damned if we go down as this things next meal without a fight. I have nothing left, there is nothing left for me to protect. Nothing left for me to love. The light of my life... is gone. This thing took it from me, and I'm going to do everything in my power to ruin it's next meal.
Justice for justice, a life for a life. I'm sorry son, I have failed you.
-----
Anaal Nathrakh play the role of the cold and calculating beast. They are unwavering in their commitment to violence and the torture of the listener. Their music is a vessel to enact their violence upon the listener.
Eschaton in biblical theology is the end of the world. Nothing comes after, this is the definitive end of time and everything material. The music contained within the album sharing this title can be described in much the same way. The music has an apocalyptic feel to it, there is an unhinged violence that comes from within the core of this album that permeates every single note and bleeds through every instance that music is playing and it continues to resonate after the album has finished.
The band stumbled with their previous album, lacking both in quality and the intensity of the debut record. Both of those missteps have been corrected on Eschaton. The clean vocals that were introduced with Domine Non Es Dignus have been refined and put to better use on the follow up. The lack of intensity in the vocals has also been corrected.
Vitriol has to be one of the more aptly named vocalists within the metal scene. Mr. Hunt manages to create noises, shrieks, and tortured screams that most vocalists can't even begin to match. Vitriol is an older term for sulfuric acid, and that is exactly the sound that comes out of his mouth. Burning, corrosive, deadly.
Anaal Nathrakh never published their lyrics at the early stage of their career. But looking at titles like "Between Shit and Piss We are Born" or "When the Lion Devours Both Dragon and Child" I think we have at least a glimpse of the outlook of the band.
Eschaton combines grindcores speed, and intensity with the violence of war metal. It's not quite to the levels of the Codex Necro but it is a fucking fine return to form for a band that was starting to slip with their EP and second full length. The beast of rebellion has returned to usher in Armageddon and herald the seven trumpets of Gabriel.
Written October 30th 2023
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