Album Reviews : Anno Domini – Atrocities

Sydney’s Anno Domini have unleashed a monster with their debut album. Sitting somewhere between the utterly brutal Behemoth and the more melody-based Dark Tranquility, ‘Atrocities’ is a truly powerful 45 minutes.

From the end of the intro to the start of the outro, the drums power along with a mechanical intensity, and the guitars gallop with melodic leads sneaking in here and there to give a few seconds rest. Keiran’s deep, smooth growl is huge and the power really kicks up a notch when he comes in. And hiding in the background are some simple, yet brilliantly used synths. They’re subtle, never taking over, but adding a level of atmosphere that makes everything sound that bit more sinister. It’s a sound that doesn’t really change, but never drops in quality either, which is more than likely going to be a deciding factor in how you listen to the album.

Each track is a beauty. There honestly is no low point. However, chuck the album on from the very start and your attention may wander by the end. Again, that has nothing to do with the latter tracks being any lesser, but it’s just one of those downfalls of consistently balls-to-the-wall metal.

Likewise, highpoints are tough to pick. Opener “Initiate” has a surprisingly addictive chorus, and it’s hard to resist air guitaring to the short, recurring Arch Enemy-esque riff in “Obliteration”. “What Lies Inside” kicks the melody up a notch, moving closer to that previously mentioned Dark Tranquility sound, which is definitely a welcome change by the time that track rolls around. But for me, closer “Prophecy” is the track that really gets me. It’s thicker and bigger than anything that precedes it, and is just blatantly monstrous.

Anno Domini have propelled themselves up to the top tier of Australian death metal with this one. While a bit more variety wouldn’t go astray, ‘Atrocities’ is an awesome album that death metal fans should definitely get their hands on. 8/10

Band: Anno Domini
Album: Atrocities
Year: 2010
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Sydney, Australia
Label: Independent
http://www.myspace.com/annodomini

Tracklisting:
1. Atrocities (Intro)
2. Initiate
3. Static
4. Breathe Deep The Ash
5. Obliteration
6. Leading the Blind
7. Enter the Void
8. What Lies Inside
9. Prophecy
10. Of Man… (Outro)