RoD header

Translate

anakefr_burialtree
Artist: Ana Kefr
Title: The Burial Tree (II)
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
Release Date: 3rd May 2011
Label: Muse Sick Records


Album Review

Those seeking a metal experience that is a real eye opener should look to ANA KEFR. The group is a multi-talented progressive death metal band from California that only seems to get better and better with each album. Their second instalment - 'The Burial Tree' - is even more varied than the first, fusing thrash, ambient, industrial, death, and black metal altogether in multiple variations throughout the album. Tracks like ‘Emago’ are more in the technical, melodic death metal sense with enjoyable riffs, solos, and crushing vocals. ‘Monody’ is more along the lines of progressive death metal and even features a saxophone closing which makes for a very haunting track.

‘In The House Of Distorted Mirrors’ makes use of samples and looping to create a bizarre atmosphere that is sure to disturb and provoke the mind... in a good way. The opening line of ‘Thaumatrope’ sounds like something that came strictly from DIMMU BORGIR’s mid era work: heavily symphonic and excellent before launching into the heavier death metal bits. There are even some haunting female vocals in the background. ‘Bathos’ is strictly melodic death metal but throws in some creative clean vocal work that crops up here and there throughout the album. ‘The Zephirous Circus’ mixes technical metal with the aggressive drumming and guitar riffs along with carnival keyboard hymns. On the downside, ‘Jeremiad’ is a less than thirty seconds track that offers some wacky grind-core that doesn't really show off the band's strong points, but just seems random and avoidable.

‘Parasites’ creates progressive death metal in the vein of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME while ‘Paedophilanthrope’ is more brutal death metal without as much melody or focus on technical bits as the former tracks, but shows that the band doesn't have to be all frills and just deliver some straightforward, skull cracking metal. In contrast, ‘Fragment’ is a brief instrumental that focuses on simple guitar notes and the drums tapping as quietly as possible, which is a polar opposite to their usual aggression. ‘The Blackening’ is full of great sole guitar melodies while featuring some industrial vocal bits with fading vocoder distortion. The final track is the 9 minute epic that really gives off a show when it comes to progressive death metal. The guitar solo near the end is highly melodic and very uplifting in the emotional aspect, which is a great way to calm the listener down from the extremely wild ride they just heard... at least until the last few seconds when everything picks up again.

This album is very complex and sometimes tends to jump all over the place. However, at the same time it is highly varied and will appeal to fans of metal all across the board. One could almost consider them the PINK FLOYD’S of death metal! ANA KEFR is highly talented in their work and should be very proud of the masterpiece they've just unleashed here. If they continue to outdo themselves, they’ll run out of ways to progress.


Tracklist

01. Ash-Shahid - 6:25
02. Emago - 4:32
03. Monody - 7:02
04. In The House Of Distorted Mirrors - 5:43
05. Thaumatrope - 4:07
06. Bathos and the Iconoclast - 2:20
07. The Zephirus Circus - 2:54
08. Jeremiad - 0:18
09. Apoptosis - 1::41
10. Parasites - 6:06
11. Paedophilanthrope - 2:44
12. Fragment - 1:36
13. The Blackening - 7:43
14. The Collector - 9:15


Line-up

Kyle Coughran - rhythm guitar, vocals
Shane Dawson - percussion, djembe
Alphonso Jimenez - bass guitar
Rhiis D. Lopez - lead vocals, keys, clarinet
Brendan Moore - lead guitar, vocals, saxophone


Website

http://www.myspace.com/anakefr


Cover Picture

anakefr_burialtree


Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Total: 9 / 10


Comments powered by CComment