Description
What are you thinking about a group coming from Iceland? Maybe some folk-tradition musicians, such as Voces Thules or someone more famous and pop, like Bjork. But, there are some more things about Icelandic music. There is a band, which is called Angist and plays Death Metal. Angist comes from Reykjavik and formed in 2009. The first thing that we need to know about Angist is that the idea of the group’s creation belongs to Edda and Gyða, two female guitarists. Edda is responsible for vocals, too. Angist has already released one Demo in summer 2010 and an EP one year later called ‘Circle of Suffering’. On July 7th, 2014, the band release its first full-length LP (in 300 copies only-grey/blue/icy vinyl-and digital) consists of seven songs – five taken from the EP and two from the Demo. This release is also called ‘Circle of Suffering’.
When the album starts, you can understand exactly what is going to follow. After a 40 seconds intro, the first guitar sessions, the harsh vocals and the well-placed roars of Edda and Gyða reminds you the old school death metal. The influences of technical death metal, such as Suffocation and the first albums of Death, are quite noticeable. Some characteristics from bands such as Decapitated, Bloodbath, Vomitory and Blood Red Throne, especially of their first years of action, are notable, too.
The brutal-riffing and axe-slinging guitar playing remains, mostly, in high speed. Also, the drums playing is in high speed, with storming bass-drums and some more slowly rhythms at snare, toms and cymbals and vice-versa. Besides, there are the classic high-speed death metal drums. The bass guitarist (Halli), basically, follows the drums’ rhythm and some times the guitars, too. Moreover, there are slowly and atmospheric parts in songs like ‘Silence’ and ‘Unwelcome Thoughts’, or in some intros and outros such as in ‘Circle of Suffering’ and ‘Godless’. Last but not least, there are some blackened thrusts but without any changes in the overall death feeling of the album. As far as the lyrical themes are concerned, Angist is filled with some basic of death metal’s elements such as destructive behavior, degeneration and human misery.
Finally, Angist is a very promising band in old school Death Metal and has already put their “first stone”. Let’s keep in mind this release and wait for some new songs. (Metal Invader)
