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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Anubis Gate - Horizons + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
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│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Jan-30-2015 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2014 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........10 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.anubisgate.com ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Anubis Gate Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Horizons Label : Nightmare ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ It's often the most difficult part of a review ║ │
│║ to write a compelling introduction, so I'll just ║ │
│║ cheat and summarize the extent of my feelings ║ │
│║ towards the band right away: Anubis Gate are the ║ │
│║ most criminally underrated working band in ║ │
│║ progressive metal today. It's a bold statement ║ │
│║ to be certain, but I'm sure many of the bands ║ │
│║ fans would tend to agree. Following the done- ║ │
│║ to-death prog-power trend, Anubis Gate have ║ │
│║ managed to accomplish what so many of their ║ │
│║ contemporaries have failed to do; that is, ║ │
│║ making melody sound interesting in prog metal. ║ │
│║ When so much attention is paid to a band's ║ │
│║ shredding ability or quasi-autistic technical ║ │
│║ prowess, it's painfully common for the melodic ║ │
│║ staple to get lost or discredited. Having been ║ │
│║ amazed by Anubis Gate's amazing ability to ║ │
│║ invert this trope on past albums (particularly ║ │
│║ their 2007 opus Andromeda Unchained), this ║ │
│║ year's Horizons has been among my most ║ │
│║ anticipated of 2014. By all means, the end ║ │
│║ result has not disappointed; lively ║ │
│║ musicianship, a mature execution and an ║ │
│║ exceptional integration of melody into a ║ │
│║ progressive metal framework makes for one of the ║ │
│║ first stand-out records I've heard this year. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ "Destined to Remember" I heard on their free- ║ │
│║ for-download Sheep EP some months ago, and in ║ │
│║ spite of that engrained familiarity, I still ║ │
│║ find myself blown away by the song. Although the ║ │
│║ only noticeable change between the two songs is ║ │
│║ the extension of the song's bridge section, ║ │
│║ "Destined to Remember" feels like an essential ║ │
│║ demonstration of everything that makes Horizons ║ │
│║ so great. So many ideas are tossed into the ║ │
│║ structure, but it still manges to sound ║ │
│║ compelling and filled with hooks. The only ║ │
│║ shorter progressive metal song I can think of ║ │
│║ that managed to accomplish such a feeling of ║ │
│║ completion in so 'short' a time was Circus ║ │
│║ Maximus' "Abyss". If you've at some point shared ║ │
│║ doubts as to whether melodies could be ║ │
│║ successfully worked into prog metal without a ║ │
│║ cost to ambition, set aside what you're doing ║ │
│║ and take the five minutes to hear this song. The ║ │
│║ rest, as they say, is history. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ "Airways" is built around some incredibly clever ║ │
│║ melody writing, and the chorus is a prime ║ │
│║ example of this; the chorus presents a simple ║ │
│║ melody, and reinvents it entirely right after by ║ │
│║ pairing it up with a different chord. Although ║ │
│║ the melody stays the same, it has a much darker ║ │
│║ atmosphere the second time around; I know it's a ║ │
│║ minor detail in context of the album, but it's ║ │
│║ an amazing demonstration of how Anubis Gate ║ │
│║ integrate melody into their music. Horizons' ║ │
│║ other highlights include "Never Like This" (an ║ │
│║ incredibly hooky tune with moments that recall ║ │
│║ Devin Townsend!), "Breach of Faith", and the ║ │
│║ concisely structured title track. Regardless ║ │
│║ which song is put under the knife and analyzed ║ │
│║ on Horizons, it's virtually guaranteed that ║ │
│║ Anubis Gate are doing something to impress me at ║ │
│║ the given time. The release of the album was ║ │
│║ delayed from 2013 to this year as a result of ║ │
│║ their perfectionism, and the attention to detail ║ │
│║ is apparent in the end result. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ While Anubis Gate stand out as incredible ║ │
│║ songwriters, the craft and structure of the ║ │
│║ album itself is a lesser success. The flow ║ │
│║ doesn't stand out as good or bad for the most ║ │
│║ part, but there is rarely the sense that the ║ │
│║ song order compliments the enjoyment of the ║ │
│║ songs themselves. Many of these songs build up a ║ │
│║ fierce emotional momentum, only to have the ║ │
│║ momentum mostly washed off by the next song. ║ │
│║ This is most apparent in the album's closing ║ │
│║ segment, the part-epic/part-medley "A Dream ║ │
│║ Within A Dream" and its acoustic denouement ║ │
│║ "Erasure". "A Dream Within A Dream" takes the ║ │
│║ melodic hooks from songs prior ("Never Like ║ │
│║ This" and "Airways" in particular) and gives ║ │
│║ them a more mellowed, atmospheric overhaul. ║ │
│║ Although the ideas themselves are great, the ║ │
│║ track feels less like the epic it tries to make ║ │
│║ itself out to be, and more an attempt to bring ║ │
│║ the album together as a whole. The slight ║ │
│║ disappointment of it falling short of a true ║ │
│║ prog metal epic aside, "A Dream Within A Dream" ║ │
│║ would have been an effective closer to the ║ │
│║ album, and by all means is one, if you don't ║ │
│║ count the acoustic "Erasure" that comes after ║ │
│║ it. I get that "Erasure" is meant as a sort of ║ │
│║ 'exit music' to the album, but it bears no ║ │
│║ emotional connection or shared momentum with the ║ │
│║ fourteen minute track that precedes it. As a ║ │
│║ result, the album ends feeling a tad ║ │
│║ underwhelming, and the disregard for a momentous ║ │
│║ climax sadly robs Horizons of some of the ║ │
│║ overall impression it was set up to have. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Even having become very familiar with the album, ║ │
│║ the flow still stands as a problem for the ║ │
│║ album. Then again, when looking at the album as ║ │
│║ a whole, it's a small price to pay for an ║ │
│║ otherwise incredible product. Anubis Gate 's ║ │
│║ songwriting may be what make them so worthy of ║ │
│║ praise, but even their production and ║ │
│║ performance manage to stand out. Instrumentally, ║ │
│║ Anubis Gate are excellently professional and ║ │
│║ accent these songs with dynamic performances ║ │
│║ throughout; even if there are few sections here ║ │
│║ where it sounds like the band are playing to ║ │
│║ their limit, their chemistry and quality as ║ │
│║ musicians is never in question. As has been the ║ │
│║ case with my past experience with Anubis Gate ║ │
│║ however, vocalist Henrik Fevre remains the most ║ │
│║ impressive part of the band. The production ║ │
│║ style shares this enthusiasm for the vocals and ║ │
│║ melodies, upmixing Fevre's performance just a ║ │
│║ little bit more than is usual for metal. His ║ │
│║ high register and impressive range may come as ║ │
│║ second nature for the prog-power style, but his ║ │
│║ delivery seems to go that extra mile. There is ║ │
│║ passion and intensity in the performance, not ║ │
│║ just from Fevre, but the band as a whole. It's ║ │
│║ not the sort of dynamic presentation you would ║ │
│║ expect from a band that's so unashamedly ║ │
│║ melodic, but there you have it. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Writing about Anubis Gate and this latest album, ║ │
│║ I've come to realize something; whereas with ║ │
│║ most progressive metal bands I might tend to ║ │
│║ focus on the skill of the execution and other ║ │
│║ more 'objective' aspects of the product, I don't ║ │
│║ feel limited at all to discuss the softer ║ │
│║ elements of Anubis Gate. The songwriting and ║ │
│║ musical direction has been constructed with a ║ │
│║ clear sense of purpose and regard for feeling. ║ │
│║ They have taken memorable, cleverly delivered ║ │
│║ melodies and married them with the genre's ║ │
│║ infamous penchant for technique and skill. ║ │
│║ Although they're far from alone in this goal, ║ │
│║ Anubis Gate are among the few who can make the ║ │
│║ end result compelling and challenging. Horizons ║ │
│║ is no exception to the band's proud history; ║ │
│║ whatever weaknesses are here are far outweighed ║ │
│║ by their skill and thoughtfulness as musicians ║ │
│║ and songwriters. It's enough to dispel my ║ │
│║ suspicion of modern progressive metal trends, if ║ │
│║ only for a while, and it's my hope that this ║ │
│║ latest album will earn them a broader fanbase ║ │
│║ and heightened exposure they so justly deserve. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Destined To Remember [06:02] │
│ 02 - Never Like This (A Dream) [04:08] │
│ 03 - Hear My Call! [06:23] │
│ 04 - Airways [06:50] │
│ 05 - Revolution Come Undone [05:28] │
│ 06 - Breach Of Faith [07:20] │
│ 07 - Mindlessness [06:32] │
│ 08 - Horizons [04:49] │
│ 09 - A Dream Within A Dream [14:09] │
│ 10 - Erasure [03:32] │
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│ Total Length : [65:13 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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