Antropofago: Æra Dementiæ

French technical death metal is something that seems to be becoming a 'thing', the likes of Gorod understanding how to scare the bejesus out of us all, while throwing some jazz shapes in just to send you off their deathly scent. So with this effort from Antropofago coming Gorod approved – guitarist Nicolas Alberny provides a solo on the track "Voices" – hopes are immediately set high. However those initial expectations prove a curse, this quintet failing to quite reach the same heady altitude as their countrymen. As is so often the case, Antropofago know how to be brutal, I mean brutally brutal a brutal world of brutality, brutal. It is however the main, verging on only, weapon this pony has, breakdowns just a pause for breath before the rip and roar, well... rips and roars.

Vocalist Melmoth The Wanderer, which I'm guessing isn't the chap's real name, is however, as close to the real deal as you can get; his forceful thunder-threat convincing and full, while guest slots from Laurent Chambe (Nephren-Ka), Aara (ex-Savage Annihilation) and Benoit Jean (ex-Ishan) merely add to the potent mix. The ideas do try to duck and dive, the album's title cut bringing a sense of intricate intimacy, although hardly in the sharing, caring sense, while a few choice movie samples bring a different element to an album that can for spells, be a little one dimensional.

However for all that there's much to get your teeth into here, where things are badly let down is through the kick drum thruppety, thruppety, thruppety; this key component allowed to carry no emphasis at all, while having the snare rattle away politely, hardly helps. In the end, it's something that genuinely detracts from an album that could have been a thing of real interest. Instead you're left thinking of what might have been while you try desperately to beef the drum sound up to an acceptable level.

There's a lot of good work done on Æra Dementiæ, however, if ever there was a case of making sure you have the basics locked down, then it's here. An album that really could have made a mighty mark only allowed to the opportunity to land a glancing blow.

Track Listing
1. Intro

2. Encounter With The Doppelganger

3. Body Cell

4. Helter Skelter

5. Aera Dementiae

6. Paranoid Visions (Part.II)

7. The Other Me

8. God Ov Fire

9. Voices

10. Insania Lupina

Added: May 21st 2016
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Antropofago on Facebook
Hits: 1286
Language: english

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