From Bandcamp, “Active since 1999, ANAEL have seen ephemeral waves and trends come and go, by just sticking to their very own, unique way of forging their dark Metal arts. Epic, majestic, atmospheric at times, the fourth full-length "Mare" marks the final part of an album cycle dedicated to the four elements. Water is the central topic of this latest effort, having been recorded in December 2019 in FiveLakes Studio near Munich. Released by Into Endless Chaos Records on vinyl, it confronts the listener with archaic fears and undertakes a journey to unexpected places hidden in the mist of time and human consciousness...”

The album has six songs, and “Odyssey” is first. Following a slow opening, the sound explodes, with a heavy weight and aggressive riff. The vocals are traditional scratchy, but the music is a bit less chaotic then a lot of Black Metal, and you can hear everything clearer. “Anachon” also has a heavy riff and a lot of bottom end contentiousness, highlighting the weight of the music. The band also shifts through a few different riffs along the ride, keeping the listener on his toes. The closing outro of clean guitars adds another element of darkness to the song as well. “The Glass People” has an eerie and suspenseful sound from the opening riff and whispered vocals. It climbs into a more powerful riff with heavy accents that dull the ground, meaty bass notes in tow.

“Sophia” has more of a groove to it…a heavy, dark groove, but a groove nonetheless. Immediately, you start tapping your foot or banging your head, whichever you fancy. Some of the chords progress to unexpected places, and the music is catchy. “Dreamtide” begins with the rumble of a thunderhead. From there, it quickly morphs into a sound that is almost jovial at times, but if you turn the cards sideways, you can see the rot in the faces of those who look gaze into the mirror. “The Darkness Within” closes the album, and it’s a lengthy nine minute song. The operative word again is darkness, because that is exactly what I hear. The best part of the song is how the band whips up the darkness and works into the very fabric of the track.

The album is an amalgam of a few different styles, and smarty doesn’t commit to one over another. The one constant theme however is darkness, and it’s almost alive in the album, taking the form that you can see and relate to at times, and other times, it remains a constant looming force that you can’t see. It was refreshing to hear the band’s uncommon take on the genre.