Review BLACK ANVIL ‘Regenesis’

New York is a melting pot in the broadest sense of the word and this also applies without exception to rock and metal. The Ramones, Anthrax, Suffocation and Type O Negative … they all have/had their home base on the American East Coast. And what about black metal? Well, also here New York has something to offer.

Black Anvil have dedicated themselves to this kind of extreme metal and have been releasing records since 2008 on a regular basis. With their latest work ‘Regenesis’ the trio ends a five-year waiting period. R, P and J have recorded twelve new songs, whereby ‘The Gates of Brass’ is actually an intro that gets the fans in the mood for the rest of the album. Listening to the intro, you can literally feel the rising evil that breaks through with ‘In Two’.

Interesting is also the menacing ‘8-bit Terror’ which contains diabolic parts on one side and atmospheric elements on the other. I felt a little bit reminded of some of the Norwegian acts when I heard the song for the first time.

It really gets furious with the ultra-fast ’29’, where a rapid tempo is in the center of attention. Here is no time to take a breath. This is possible again with ‘Silver & Steele’. An ominous and diabolical vibe accompanies this song, which is rather calm and atmospheric in its basic structure, but without losing devilish intensity.

With ‘VV’ the guys have put an almost two-minute interlude on the record before the gate to the underworld opens again with ‘NYC Nightmares’. Black Anvil gets support from Danny ‘Ezec’ Diablo which gives the slower song extra power.

The blistering title track closes an album which shows that NYBM also has its fascination. Black Anvil’s style of playing is so exciting because it includes the anarchic element of punk and the groove of hardcore. Together with a partly very atmospheric approach, the group has succeeded in launching an album very worth listening to. One should not miss ‘Regenesis’.