I love Anata - Under A Stone With No Inscription was one of my favourite death metal albums of a few years back - and I'm certainly not disappointed by this latest opus. It's slightly different than previous offerings while still retaining that distinctive Anata sound. They seem to be a little more subtle in how they construct their harmonies and counterpoint these days and also on tracks like I Would Dream of Blood there is a hint of Gorguts' doom-like brooding discordance creeping into their sound.

Of course, Frederik and Co keep the technicality coming and throw a few curveballs into the mix every now and then. They've also added the string of greater dynamics to their already heaving bow - the aforementioned I Would Dream of Blood is a real slowburner in comparison to the frantic pace of Under A Stone.

The production is as good as anything in death metal right now - the tone of the guitars makes me want to rape the nearest forest with a kingsize chainsaw. Everything about this album, from the carefully crafted songwriting to the pristine production; from the blazing guitar solos to the monolithic riffs, is as pure as the driven snow.

So, gentlemen: your thoughts.

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Well, I bought Under A Stone With No Inscription and well, it's ok, but kind of very repetetive, all the riffs have a similar sort of mood to it, so I haven't been quick in getting their latest.

Could you compare it to Under A Stone...? Have they changed their sound/style much?

Ill probably buy this next time im in a JB Hifi or similar

JB hifi is fucking awsome beats the shit out of sainty

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it's a great album. dare i say, better than the previous ones.

It's the album of the year for me so far.

I have to agree with Alvaro - it's an immense offering. They're sort of like Cryptopsy insofar as retaining the overall sound and feel of the band without ever repeating themselves album after album.

There are definitely Under A Stone influences on the album - as one would expect - but they seem more mature in their songwriting.

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I like Anata, but I'm not totally crazy about 'em. I really liked Dreams Of Death And Dismay, but I wasn't huge on UASWNI. It had a few good songs but after listening to 3 or 4 of them in a row I always got bored of it. This album is an improvement, some of the writing is top notch. However, it still suffers from the repetitiveness of UASWNI, although not as much. Cold Heart Forged In Hell is my favourite off this album so far.

John: Comparing them to Cryptopsy? I get where you're going slightly on that comment, but they're not nearly on the same level as Cryptopsy in terms of album diversity.

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Yes it does, but Sanity and HMV are shit. Anyway, Last time I went into JB Hifi they didnt have any Severed Savior or Defeated Sanity records so that's a stain on their reputation.

Post Mortem Records Sydney beats the shit out of JB Hifi.

Beatdisc is occasionally good.

Anyway, back on topic.

I dunno if i'll give this album a shot. No one's really raving about it

I don't usually go crazy for this type of shit, but The Conductor's Departure is fuckin brilliant.

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Sounds like I need to check this out.

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Yeah, you do :/

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I've been listening to this album non-stop lately, it's one hell of a fucking album. Downward Spiral Into Madness is a great song, can't get enough of it.

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So they sdolo more on this one? there was a lack off on that last one although it didnt bother me at all just means i can say " i can play anata song back to front" without a cunt going oh man that solo must be hard and me going i cant play the solo. what are the vocals like, are they the same?

I agree, but I can see the evolution of Anata more clearly than most bands. Granted, it is much less marked than Cryptopsy but I don't think anybody can match Cryptopsy for album diversity.

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The Infernal Depths Of Hatred Is One Of My favorite Albums....Its A masterPiece

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Damn straight.

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I loved UASWNI and I am not disapointed with the newey.

Great album.

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I got my hands on it and gave it a listen last night and am currently on listen #2. Its cool, but I wouldn't say great yet. Hasn't sunk in. Some of the riffage is pretty interesting. Certain riffs make me say "Shit, that sounds like what Hate Eternal should have been!" They've got some real purtty riffs, too.

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aside from negura bunget, anata are the best band i have learned about in this forum. fuckin killer riffs....


album of the year?? probably not. worthy attempt, though.

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The instrumental on the new one, 'Children's Laughter', that's awesome.
I like the polyphonic sound of Anata. Makes for interesting listening. They are amongst my favourite bands. Musicianship goes down well in my books.

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Well I finally heard the track Spiral Decent Into Madness or whatever and it's awesome, I thought the drums were a little low in the mix, and the guitar tone isn't as good I think, hasn't got that totally dry cardboard feel to it like that other one, in fact to me it sounded a little more distorted, like the tiniest bit more gain, but anyway, was a wicked song, thinking of tabbing it, so I wanna get this album, I cant wait, I might tab some of it.

Good to hear, Myles!

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It's already been tabbed dude.

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:O At Rog? What else been tabbed?

Lots of things.

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THanks Mansley - anything you recommend I always like. Just d/l'd it, its great.

How gay Oh well

Someone should do a tab for "The Great Juggler" ....the chorus is amazing.

ill do it when i get it if its so amazing but check rog it might already be done

No problem, John - glad to have brought this great band and album to folk's attention.

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Anyways, I saw a band pic, he's like, emo and shit hahaha, I think it's cool though, but I was so blown away when I saw Schalin with an emo fringe.

Nah only Sprial Downward... is done at this stage. Go right ahead and tab that shit.

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I tried to get into this band to be cool, 'cos everyone else likes it. I don't dig it. Didn't like the first one, not big on this one.

Just like I tried to get everyone I know into East 17 but failed.

Yeah dude considering how old this thread is and half the posters hadn't heard of this band and the other half of all the posts were made by like 4 members chatting I don't think this band is really that cool to listen to. But they are awesome

Well now I finally have the cd... I find it hard to digest, just like their other one, it'll take a little while for me to get into it. Just like the last one

But some of the riffs are awesome. Cold Heart... Renunciation, Complete Demise

I saw these guys for the first time at MDF earlier this year... I hadn't heard of them before, and I didn't like what I heard... the emo, goosey looking front man was really cocky, especially when all of his leads were tapping sequences... I couldn't hear the music all too well, because the soundguy at the venue fucking sucks, so I left with a bad impression of them.

Later, I heard Conductor's Departure at my friend's house... from Downward Spiral through the rest of the album, I was hooked. I don't think they played much of anything, if anything at all, from this album when I saw them, and now my view on them has changed entirely. Great band, would like to see them again sometime.

the great juggler is an incredible song, the chorus harmonization is out of this world

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Everyone says that but I think there are greater harmonies than that which anata have pulled off, it is a good chorus though.

name some! (not a rhetorical challenge, maybe i missed some)

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King Crimson. Miles Davis. Mr. Bungle. Pink Floyd (though I'll concede that they have a relatively static sound for a few albums in a row during their 'peak era'). Tortoise. Radiohead. I expect most of the people here to keep on their blinders, but you guys should know that Cryptopsy, diverse as they are, aren't really the gold standard for diversity. Though within the tech-death world they inhabit they very well might be (but there's still Gorguts).

I got this album yesterday but haven't had a chance to listen to it much yet. However, a first listen revealed some nice promises of a rewarding album (in particular, and most memorably, the Crimsoesque alternating harmony in, I believe, the first song). But we'll see.

Well I think the harmony in A Problem Yet To Be Solved at 3.25 is amazing... The tapping harmony in Entropy Within is great... The breakdown harmony in The Drowning... 0.57 in Cold Heart...

Some of those aren't necessarily harmonies though... well I dont think anyway... that's to say that the riffs correspond to each other in key but aren't following the same scales... but I think they are harmonies? They do harmonise with each other... Dunno. Either way it's really not THAT important to me, but they are some select Anata moments to relive anyway haha

That's more like counterpoint than harmony and Anata are one of the best bands around for this sort of writing.

PST: Conceded! But within tech death they are pretty much as diverse as they come, maybe with the exception of - as you mentioned - Gorguts.

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