Anomalie are an Austrian post-black metal band and this is their fifth album.
Although I enjoyed 2017’s Visions, 2021’s Tranceformation took Anomalie to another level, ending up as a firm favourite of mine that year. As such, anticipation is high for the 54-minute Riverchild. Can Anomalie deliver the goods once more?
Apparently so, which I’m extremely happy about.
Riverchild is a multifaceted exploration of post-black metal, one that visits the shores of post-rock, atmospheric black metal, and doom on its winding journey. It’s a diverse sound that Anomalie have crafted. One of the things that I like about Anomalie’s music is that it evolved into something quite individual in Tranceformation, and Riverchild simply takes this further. It falls under the post-black metal genre tag, but isn’t like most bands that get described as that. The music has arisen from black metal, hence the tag, but now contains just as much doom metal, (and other ingredients such as post-rock), to be something that sits comfortably outside of the norm.
The songs exist to portray emotion and mood, and do so with the skilled application of sound in select ways. They ebb and flow with graceful fluidity across the album’s breadth, making for a captivating record that conjures up oceans of emotive depth for the listener to dive into. These waters run deep, and Riverchild‘s reach is extensive. The rewards are many, but only repeated expeditions will truly reveal them.
The music is textured and expressive throughout, with each song adding to the album’s easy flow. Hooks are everywhere, whether they’re built from vocals, melodies, riffs, or from a combination of atmospheric components. This is an album that’s striking, much like its predecessor, both in instant appeal and longer term substance. There’s a good amount of diversity and creativity on display, making the 54 minutes of material here fly by most satisfyingly.
The return of Anomalie has not disappointed. I need some more time with Riverchild to know whether I like it better than Tranceformation or not, but my initial thoughts are that it is at least its equal. Sometimes you listen to an album and just know it’s going to be a keeper, and Riverchild is one of these.
Essential listening.
Wonderbox Metal 