More of Fire than Blood Review

Band	Anaal Nathrakh
Album	More of Fire than Blood
Type	Single
Released	June 8, 2009
Labels	Candlelight Records
Length	03:25

Reviewer :  KaroshiMetal         Rating :  80 / 100

UK's very own Anaal Nathrakh is one of those bands that puts on a unique set of structures and formulas in terms of instrumentation composition that maintains the extreme side they are known for. While it can be easy to compare their sound to other bands, other people can mostly likely seem them as holding a rather distinct sound whether it be solos, melodies, harmonics, etc... And so this single is a piece that is definitely comparable to other bands that may have possibly served as inspirations while maintaining it's own set of original construction.

"More of Fire than Blood" is a 1-track single released in 2009 that presents steady riffs and tempos that maintains the extreme element the band is known for. As this single begins, we are immediately introduced to the presence of guitar sweeping that keeps a steady tempo as the drum work delivers a hard but brief blast with it's use of crash cymbals while a second guitar is layered over the drums that follows the beat's tempo formula as the bass keeps a low but booming effect that can be identified if a listener listens with either headphones or a good set of speakers. This lasts for at least a few seconds until the drum work and the additional guitar picks up their pace as the vocals delivers a harsh howling shriek. The instrumentation work for this section gets right to the point with it's extreme use of scales as the additional guitar delivers a fast solo performance that only lasts for about 8 seconds. The overall production keeps a solid but compressed heavy quality that can easily place listeners in a state of anger as the vocalist Dave Hunt delivers his shrieks along with deep gurgling growls that is very much in nature with brutal death metal. During this entire section, the entire work of the instruments maintains the same style of riffs that some may see as simple until we reach about the 48-second mark when the single delivers it's chorus section. The guitar work delivers a unique set of minor melodies as the drum work gives a somewhat slower pace with it's use of snare beats while the ride cymbal keeps it's own fast paced setting. The vocals deliver the clean vocals that can be either reminiscent of war cries for some listeners or an opera for some others. However, the performance of the clean vocals is very short-lived as this chorus section last for only about 15 seconds before the entire instrumentation work returns to the simple riffs we have already heard in the first verse. Now while this part of chorus only lasts for a very short time, the single at least has the decency to extend it's chorus during the second section after it delivers a second verse with the same simple riffs and blast beats. After the use of clean vocals do their duty, the second chorus maintains a unique set of guitar riffs and the vocals suddenly change up it's style that goes from an opera-like war cry to a distant-like preaching with an added echo effect that lasts for about 17 seconds.

As the chorus delivers an extended formula within it's second section, the interlude gives an instrumental performance with the same instrumentation style as the earlier verse sections that seems to give itself a short length with a mysterious screeching effect that resembles harsh vocals that appears just before the instruments come to a quick pause. At this point, the main guitar work takes a sole lead tremolo of introducing the third and final chorus section for a quick short moment. The instruments all come together again after Dave Hunt delivers the same clean singing for only a moment alongside the guitar performance. At this point, the third chorus delivers a completely different use of the vocals as the harsh distant-like shrieks are layered underneath the clean singing that repeats the same lines until the single ends with a second but short guitar solo performance. The entire composition of this single can be easily comparable to bands like Cattle Decapitation, Napalm Death, and perhaps a bit of Carcass as it delivers extreme sets of tremolo riffs and short-lived solos with no hints of raw elements.

While "More of Fire than Blood" can be seen as a 1-track single that contains a very simple and tiresome composition due to delivering a repeated performance, there can still be much to hold within this single as it maintains the extreme elements Anaal Nathrakh is known for. It can easily place possible listeners in a mindset of wanting to let all their anger out, almost as if they are holding a deadly fire within their hearts just like the very title of this single.