Gothminister - Anima Inferna (2011)Release ID: 7954
The dark journey of Gothminister continues on, and I'm already midway through what they've had so far. I think you can consider Anima Inferna the transition album between the two surrounding 3 albums eras; the electro side and the epic side.
Whichever era the band is in, they've been engraved to the stone of Norwegian dark industrial metal. Bjørn Alexander Brem enjoys doing what he loves. However, he thought about becoming a lawyer again after feeling like he achieved enough from his electro-era trilogy. Luckily, he didn't stop! He still felt up for some more music to create. He knows how to make a living while doing he and his fanbase love.
The album opener "Stonehenge" begins with heavy guitar crunch and interesting synth harmonies. Then the guitars calm down to let Brem's baritone vocals shine. Sounds quite evil for a then-recently-married and domestically happy man, proving his ability to maintain the earlier darkness. Optimistic lyrics ain't gonna make the gloomy vocals fade away in this battle of life and death. The album's single "Liar" has an electro-synth intro that expands through the guitars and vocals. Brem has excellent vocal range and harmonic effect. The track drives through in the beat and melody. Next track "Juggernaut" starts with guitar that again fades slightly for Brem's vocals. After being primarily guitar-focused, the buildup makes a calm descent into the atmosphere of synths and strings.
"616" switches again to an interesting synth intro before the guitar and drum strength comes again. Brem's vocals become grittier and deeper, similar to the earlier albums, that wasn't heard in this album until that point. The electro-synths fully dominate in "Solitude", while Brem's moody voice and driving percussion make their entrance, balanced out by the guitar. That's probably one of the darkest tracks with the most electronic synths. "The Beauty of Fanatism" sounds much different with higher melody. Brem's vocals remind you that there's more to expect than that song innocent melody. The beat eventually picks up, and there's more aggressive mood in the lyrics. There's pretty much epic evolution in that creative composition! The title track opens with a faint male operatic chant, then a drum beat marches in alongside symphonic strings. Brem's vocals have dynamic fury as usual. The music fits well and gives you the right amount of attention.
The interlude "Fade" transitions out of that track in orchestral fashion. Then it leads into the next track "Beast" which almost has the evilness of blackened death metal, but is really just a melodic song with more singing in the band's usual style. Wrapping things off is the outro "Hell Opens the Gates", subtly transitioning from the previous track with simple synth and barely any percussion. After some vocal sample effects, an evil voice ends it all. There's also a bonus remix of "Liar" which, while sounding way different from the original track, works quite well.
Anima Inferna is quite excellent, with every full song working smoothly, though it would've been perfect without the somewhat pointless interludes. It's quite short at just 40 minutes, so there should've been more. Nonetheless, the vocal range is brilliantly mixed with the electro-industrial metal sound. It's just so good with astonishing melodies! If you enjoy Gothminister's earlier electro trilogy, you'll be up to hearing the sound leveled up. And if you're new to this band, let me tell you, the legendary greatness is real!
Favorites: "Stonehenge", "Liar", "616", "The Beauty of Fanatism", "Anima Inferna"
