Rating: 9.7

Country: Germany

Release Date: 2005

Record Label: Barbarian Wrath/Iron Tyrant

Track list:
1. Swords
2. Children Of Besz
3. The Black God’s Icon [mp3]
4. On Wings Of Mercury
5. Slayeress Of Kings
6. Marching Through Babylon’s Gates[mp3]
7. A Storm From The Past
8. Call Of The Eastern Tower
9. Where Silence Echoes

Band Website: Anael

Anael - On Wings of Mercury

Seraphackh- Guitars, Bass, Vocals
Primeumathon- Drums
S.M. Daemon- Live Bass

Of all the revelatory experiences metal has provided me this year, perhaps none are quite as surprising, nay, shocking as 'On Wings Of Mercury'. I have persistently sung the praises of both their debut platter and the monumental split with newly-crowned cult phenomenon Lust, but since their inception, Anael have struck me as little more than a somewhat derivative, albeit remarkably genuine, tribute to Samael's first record. The evidence is damning for anybody who's caught a whiff of 'Necromantic Ritual's nefarious, oppressively dark 'Medieval Prophecy'/'Worship Him' riffing, or indeed its strikingly similar cover art. While some may suggest that this new record represents another case of mimicry on Anael's part, eschewing 'Worship Him' primeval primacy for the strident, assured march and accomplished polish of a 'Ceremony Of Opposites', the blatant parallels between Samael and Anael, at least from a musical standpoint, have been virtually effaced entirely, the conduit between the two being far more of an aesthetic and philosophical one than one owing to obvious musical commonalities.

Indeed, comparing this record to 'Necromantic Rituals' IS very much like holding 'Ceremony Of Opposites' up to 'Worship Him'. Anael still drink from the Samael wellspring, the cavernous, intoxicatingly dark atmosphere exuding the same feel as 'Blood Ritual', but from a musical standpoint, one could just as easily highlight kindred bonds with the likes of Tiamat's 'Astral Sleep', Primordial's recent masterpieces, Rotting Christ's 'Passage To Arcturo'/'Thy Mighty Contract', as well as the old Polish guard of occult black metal bands (Xantotol, Taranis, etcetera, before NSBM ruined everything!). From the very get-go, Anael issue a bold statement of intent- “Children Of Besz” sounds completely unlike anything the band have engaged in to date, all urgent, quasi-folky lead riffing, staccato supporting rhythms and throbbing, echoing double bass. A minute and a half through the track, and we are treated to, strangely, sung vocals. Before you recoil in repugnance, however, allow me to assure you that the clean vocals are assertive and incredibly effective, reminding me a GOOD DEAL of Jon Nemtheanga's impassioned delivery on the finest Primordial material. Yes, the ebb-and-flow dynamism and admirably lofty yet beautifully morose feel of the music begs further comparisons to latter-day Primordial, and for what it's worth, this track is every bit as good as anything on 'The Gathering Wilderness', an album that is firmly in my top three for this year.

“The Black God's Icon” was, admittedly, the track that secured my purchase of this album in the first place, being one of the two mp3s that Black Goat offered prior to its release. Countless listens later (I played this thing for an hour straight when I first heard it!), I am still convinced that this is top-caliber morbid black/death metal the way it is MEANT to be played, invoking the malevolent spirits of Holy Death, early Tiamat and first album Murder Rape to do its sinister bidding. This song really encapsulates what's fucking brilliant about this album, opening with a ponderous, contemplative trudge that shifts into semi-thrashy, mid-paced territory before seguing into an AWESOME single-foot-blast-led section of spiralling, cascading, churning speed-picking that sounds absolutely as inspirational as anything off 'Black Arts Lead To Everlasting Sins'. Closing the track is a restrained, elegant, weeping solo and a deliberately phrased militant passage that oozes all the prideful stride of 'Ceremony Of Opposites'. SO GOOD. THIS is why this album rules so fucking much, Anael exhibiting an effortless finesse and sense of songcraft that was absent on an obstinately single-minded debut. The palette employed here is no longer the monochromatic pitch blackness of yore, Anael painting instead with various shades of grey and reflecting an astonishing understanding of shade, nuance/subtlety and FEELING that typifies the very best heavy metal.

Thankfully, this brilliance persists throughout the record, with the 'His Majesty At The Swamp' layered guitar heroics of “On Wings Of Mercury” (a nod to Tiamat's “On Golden Wings”? haha), the progressive riff-fest “Slayeress Of Kings”, the Mesopotamian-slanted “Marching Through Golden Gates” (which opens with such convincing bombast that one could almost mistake it for one of Melechesh's finest compositions) and the Celtic Frost-meets-Necromantia surge of “Where Silence Echoes” all proving to be enduring listens that easily survive repeat spins.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of thus record is the fact that it bears the Barbarian Wrath insignia, a brand that has typically adorned the records of vehemently ancient-minded hordes such as Heretic and Morrigan. While Hail/Faustcoven's debut, Countess' singularly unique discography and the latest Stiny Plamenu refute any (unfounded and irresponsible) suggestions that Barbarian Wrath is little more than a haphazardly regressive project in retro-minded revisionism, it is my belief that it is this record that will be the one that ingratiates the label's operations to the greater public. This is, to my mind, by far the most accessible Barbarian Wrath record to date, synthesizing the despondent darkness of the grimmest black metal with the mystical transcendence and fantastic ethereality of critical darlings like Primordial, Enslaved and early Borknagar, making liberal use of intoxicating melody without EVER compromising the sinister intent of the record. This is a really magical record, and one can only imagine what the next effort will sound like!

November 29th, 2005