Anaal Nathrakh – The Whole of the Law (2016)

Pushing the limits of what is defined as extreme; today we have Anaal Nathrakh and their latest crushing release: “The Whole of the Law”. Ever since the band moved to Metal Blade Records, they have been on a warpath of destruction and insanity. Delivering over 42 minutes of brutal aural devastation, the band cranks up eleven of the most chaotic and abusive songs we have ever heard.

After the slow atmospheric intro, the band opens their portal to hell with the crushing “Depravity Favours the Bold”. This track is filled with atmospheric arrangements paired with Dave Hunt’s multi-faceted range of vocals. The release continues to punish the listener with the brutal Grindcore onslaughts of “Hold Your Children Close and Pray for Oblivion”, the eerie Industrial elements of “We Will Fucking Kill You”, and the totally deranged vocals and Death Metal vibe of “So We Can Die Happy”.

One thing that we noticed in this album is the more prominent role that clean vocals play in some tracks, adding to their epicness as one can appreciate on “In Flagrante Delicto”. However, this does not mean the band is slowing down, as they still go for the throat on songs like “An You Will Beg for Our Secrets”. The drum programming is amazing in this release as it sounds like they have a 6 arms, 4 legs drummer without sounding fake like many others.

Just when you think things can’t get any weirder, the King Diamond-esque vocals of “Extravaganza” push this song to the limits of the bizarre and extreme. As a personal favorite, “On Being a Slave” delivers one of the most oppressive walls of sound in this release. Saving one of the best of last, “Of Horror, and the Black Shawls” delivers a cinematic experience of brutality and chilling atmospheric elements.

Overall, “The Whole of The Law” is yet another brilliant release by Anaal Nathrakh and their extremely punishing brand of Metal. If you like total chaos and extreme brutality, but yet appreciate melody and atmosphere, this is one release you don’t want to miss. We can’t recommend this one enough to fans of outfits like Ephel Duath, Mysticum, and Aborym.

Label: Metal Blade Records

Release: October 28th, 2016

Genre: Extreme/Industrial Black Metal/Grindcore

Country: UK