"Shackled to Guilt" starts off with some sick opening guitar work and in your face drumming. This song, like most of the album, is a mix of old thrash and death metal (Megadeth meets Vader). The excellent production makes the guitars standout even more than normal but without overshadowing the other instruments. The bass is deep and greatly adds to the sound and Megadeth reference. The lead guitarist also contributes backing vocals (black metal type shrieks) that mesh together perfectly with the normal death growl of the singer. "Entropy Within" has quickly become my favorite song and showcases just how their dual vocal attack works not to mention some awesome soloing.
This record is not perfect however. Some songs do start to sound alike after awhile and nothing sucks more than stopping to ask yourself if you've already heard that track before. Another thing that knocked some points off is the sound of the bass drums. Its not high enough in the mix! I love how loud and clear the cymbals sound but they overpower the bass drums during the blast beats and that isnt cool in the least. That aside, the drummer rules flat out like the rest of the band. Anata dont just master their instruments, they bend them over and have their way with them. Seriously, this is some perfectly executed technical shit.
Standout Tracks:
Shackled to Guilt
Entropy Within
The Drowning
Any Kind of Magic or Miracle