Now that’s funky. The RMR crew just wasted some ink on Animae Haeretica, Apostolica’s latest Power Metal record. Thus, confusion reigned in our office suite when the band Anima Hereticae dropped their very own Extreme Metal record Descended from the Mountains with the same release date.
Oh boy. This is either one of Loki’s cosmic jokes or we got ourselves the evil twin from the adepts of the Metal o’ Darkness. Or is the apparent name-dropping just pure coincidence? Let’s find out.
Well, I think the sleepy ones of Insomnium better wake up. There’s a new gang on the block, and they’re hungry. Descended From the Mountains sports a very strong offering of often typical Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal with blackened goodies hidden here and there. Darkly gothic vibes spewing forth like those wild streams up in the Finnish tundra. Majestic soundscapes pregnant with atmosphere suddenly trade places with that typical sound reaching us from the upper North. And you’ll find hints of Moonsorrow that arrive with the use of tribal drums heard from time to time from this particular outfit and other Finnish bands.
The rasps and growls always keenly adapt to the soundscape and perfectly embed with the meaty, sometimes otherworldly, and often tremolo-heavy riffing. And those next-level riffs either punch you straight in your face, Viking Metal style, or rumble across your stomach in more measured tones.1 The pretty geeky injection of subtle melody and typical BM keys serves as one of the main pillars of Anima Hereticae‘s latest offering. Just check out those growly refrains that suddenly ring out. And all of the above is wrapped in a ton of stellar hooks and a remarkable flow that won’t let you skip one second of the record. That, of course, could not exist without a pristine production and a well-structured arrangement.
The host of the essence this record contains is without a doubt the killer track Cimmerian Darkness. That’s Insomnium-style melodeath taken to the next level. One that thrives on red-blooded powerful guitar work. The song is indeed the full package, with advanced chanting and a nod to Rotting Christ from times long past. But fear naught, Descended From The Mountains contains no filler – none, zilch. And the reasonable 43+ minute airplay never grows stale (too much) nor does it feel too heavy, despite the relatively brutal Death Metal on offer here.
Anima Hereticae are also a pretty fearless band. Unless other outfits out there, they placed the title track right at the end. A song of 9 1/2 minutes, majestically strolling down Melodeath Road sprinkled with some snazzy acoustics here and there. And all of that comes complete with that trademark chorus and a pretty cool contribution from Gogo Melone (Aeonian Sorrow). Gogo – by the way – already made an appearance on this ‘zine on the late Tethra record. So, after a lot of head-scratching as to how she got on this here record, the geniuses2 over at the review desk finally found out that Ville Rutanen and Taneli Jämsä are or have been bandmates with her. So, there you go, mystery solved.
If we found one fly in the holy ointment of stellar record-smithing, it is the repetitive nature of sub-themes. You’ll find bits and pieces of the same or similar throughout the record but in the end it won’t signify. The well-balanced delivery of a great Death Metal album turns these quibbles into small fry.
So, in the end, Descended From The Mountains sounds like the ultimate debut album. A completely unknown band rushing into territories where the top 10 are born. Anima Hereticae emerged out of nowhere and filled our space with their vile Death Metal vibes right from the beginning. And it’s a testament to their musical prowess that the members of the band can deliver Northern melodeath of pretty outstanding quality and still play in a gazillion other bands. Records of that quality take time, and this one truly rivals the established bands out there.
So, ways to go, folks, we can’t wait for that sophomore record to surge forward out of the woods anytime soon. Let’s just hope it’s the band and not a horde of those Cimmerian warriors. But we’ll only know once we know, right?
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Inverse Records | Web: Facebook (band)
Release Date: 22 September 2023