ANNOMINUS

The Architect MIGHTY MUSIC Dirgy Danish metallers broaden their bewildering palette

With so much technical and progressive music so clean and polished, it’s nice to hear a band like Annominus, who still have raw tenacity and a rough-around-theedges approach, having moved on from the more polished modern manners of their debut, End Of Atonement. Opener Distinctive imbues classic metal riffing with angular dissonance, while the gothic overtones of Submertia sees Jacob Zinn’s charismatic vocals, sitting somewhere between M. Shadows’ histrionic authority and Brian Molko’s idiosyncratic sneer, adding an abrasive edge to its lofty goals. As the album progresses, the grit and brains of Mastodon’s early crunch make themselves known, as Nautilus blends more awkward tones, while the flurry of notes that carries Logos confounds before a mighty riff summons another uncomfortable chorus. Often difficult to listen to and comprehend, The Architect is nonetheless always asking questions. FOR FANS OF: MASTODON, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, NEVERMORE

ADAM REES