Anubis Gate: Anubis Gate

Anubis Gate's self-titled fifth album sees a substantial change in the band's sound, as Jacob Hansen, the vocalist on the band's previous two albums, is now gone and bassist Henrik Fevre has replaced him. It is an interesting change in the lineup because Fevre is said to be the writer of the vocal melodies on previous releases, but hearing him sing produces different results. His voice is neither as distinctive as original vocalist Torben Askholm's nor as powerful as Jacob Hansen's. He possesses a clear midrange tone to which he sticks throughout the whole course of the album. Though he has a nice timbre to his singing, it does seem questionable whether he can carry the pieces to their deserved apex during the choruses.

The songs on the album are characterized by melodic twin guitar work occasionally supported by discreet keyboards and clear-sung vocal harmonies. Unlike on previous discs, the speed of riffing has been toned down, perhaps so as to accommodate Fevre's vocal parts. In their place are heavy riffs that slice through melodic constructs and a solid rhythmic backbone. On a song like "The Re-Formation Show," for instance, they opt for a more riff-driven composition highlighting the clarity of the vocals on top of a strong keyboard presence before wrapping it up with an extended instrumental break. Also present in the mix are the more modern cuts "Facing Down" and "World in a Dream" of which the former sounds like an 80s pop-rock piece recycling its chorus too many times while the latter totally belies its roots, as it is built around semi-sung vocals and a repetitive, droney two-note riff. Hence, it is debatable whether these songs contribute to or detract from the unity of the album. The band tries to recharge itself with the relatively aggressive and uptempo "Desiderio Omnibus," but the faster moments drown out the vocals, and honestly, Fevre is not meant to do vocals in this type of music. He used to effectively support the guitars accentuating the pieces' moods on earlier releases, but now neither the low-end nor the vocal parts stand out with a few exceptions.

I have always argued that the departure of original vocalist Torben Askholm affected the band negatively. While they produced strong material with Jacob Hansen on Andromed Unchained and, especially, The Detached, they also lost some of their uniqueness and own voice that is easily noticeable on the first two albums, with their debut Purification still being their finest hour, in my opinion.

1. Hold Back Tomorrow
2. The Re-Formation Show
3. Facing Dawn
4. World in a Dome
5. Desiderio Omnibus
6. Oh My Precious Life
7. Golden Days
8. Telltale Eyes
9. River
10. Circumstanced

Added: November 1st 2011
Reviewer: Murat Batmaz
Score:
Related Link: Anubis Gate website
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Language: english

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