...Through the Fog... Behind the Trees...

Anwech are an Italian duo who play a raw, melodic nature-themed style of black metal. This album, their first full-length, was released by Regimental Records. This is easily their most unique album they have released.

This album is raw and yet melodic at times. The production is not clean in the slightest, but pure filth – this value of production does, in fact, fit the atmosphere for this type of sound. The guitars are downtuned and riffs are moody and unsettling. The vocals are nothing special filled with a generous amount of reverb. The clean vocal parts are rare in the album, but they do not contribute to the atmosphere in a smooth fashion – the clean vocal and raw combination simply leaves the listener feeling used. The bass is fairly active and blends in well with the guitar melodies. Drums are basic. There is a participatory piano within this mix, though it is tastefully done and complimentary to the music. It is rare that one hears piano within raw black metal, and Anwech do it right. In addition, there is a distant violin and horn within the mix which is an eerie touch.

This is an impressive and unique release for Anwech, and unlike any of their other material. This album is recommended for fans of Satanic Warmaster and Judas Iscariot.

Originally written for http://www.blackmetalelite.com

This is the first full-length from Anwech, an Italian band playing obscure black metal.

The sound on this tape is quite muddy. The screamed, echoing vocals are easy to make out, but the synth and guitar fade into a sort of fugue layer in the background. The drums sound like they're a machine to me, but it's a bit hard to tell.

In terms of songwriting, this band leans heavily on atmosphere. Each song has a couple of riffs which are repeated, with variations, while the synth and vocals float on top. It's a bit like old Graveland, but much noisier and less cohesive. There are some powerful moments here, like the menacing section at the center of "A Glare...", but you'll need patience to get anything out of this record. The thick production and minimalist nature of the music makes Anwech tough to enjoy. Still, I liked quite a bit of this -- "A Flame Wavering Through the Twilight" has some neat melancholy guitar work, and the clean vocals near the end of "Obscured By the Supreme Night" are lovely. "Rise to the Sky, Flame of Desire" has a great main theme, one that's unfortunately swallowed by noise by the end.

There's a lot of promise in this band, but they really need a better production. As is, only the most stalwart fans of obscurity need apply. If you thought Transilvanian Hunger and Nattens Madrigal were a bit too clear, you might want to check this out. Otherwise, it's not recommended.

Standout tracks: "A Flame Wavering...", "Obscured By the Supreme Night", "Rise to the Sky, Flame of Desire"

Review by Vorfeed: http://www.vorfeed.net