Haliphron - Anatomy of Darkness (CD)

Symphonic death metal band HALIPHRON was established in 2021, comprising former and current members of notable Dutch metal bands, including Izegrim, Bleeding Gods, and God Dethroned. This ensemble of musicians, who have known each other for many years and have previously performed and toured together, share a deep friendship and a unified passion for their craft.The band's primary musical objective is to create a powerful and bombastic metal sound that is relatively uncommon in their native country. While their music represents a sonic departure from their previous projects, HALIPHRON does not seek to reinvent the genre. Instead, they deliver their music with compelling melodies, catchiness, and energy.Their notable performances at events such as CopenHell, Bloodstock, and support shows for artists like Arch Enemy demonstrate the band's strength and dynamism. Their new album, 'Anatomy of Darkness' -a follow-up to their debut album 'Prey'- is anticipated to be a formidable, dark, aggressive, and epic release.The band offers insights into the new album:"With this album, we aimed to recapture the production quality of the 90s and early 2000s. We returned to a traditional studio setup with analog equipment, acoustic drum recordings, high quality guitar preamps, power amps, cabinets, and microphones. Additionally, we worked with seasoned recording, mixing, and mastering engineers, Hans Pieters and Andy Classen.The central theme of 'Anatomy of Darkness' explores the dangerous addictions that people can have. Everyone has an inner darkness, but the challenge lies in managing it. The album features tracks about various addictions, including serial killing, gambling, painkillers, self-mutilation, and arson. It poses the critical question: How does one confront and manage their inner darkness?"HALIPHRON's lyrical themes are consistently intertwined with their captivating and powerful sound. For 'Anatomy of Darkness', the band has pushed their boundaries further than ever before. The album features shorter, more guitar and riff-based tracks, intense lead guitar parts, and an overall more aggressive tone. A key component is the vocal diversity, incorporating grunts, screams, growls, whispers, and even clean singing. These elements combine to make 'Anatomy of Darkness' a loud, epic, and aggressive metal album.The band further elaborates on the album's cover artwork:"The cover artwork symbolizes the essence of darkness. It depicts a figure standing in a wheat field, representing the struggle against addiction. Darkness dissipates into small pieces, transforming into birds of freedom (which displayed on the back cover). This can be interpreted in two ways: overcoming addiction and achieving freedom, or succumbing to it and finding a different form of freedom. It represents every individual's personal battle with their inner darkness. The title track, 'Anatomy of Darkness', is the final instrumental piece on the album, encapsulating the entire narrative. It signifies the ultimate defeat against addiction, leading to eternal punishment in a place of outer darkness.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. 1. Opus Addicere 1:04
2. 2. Silent Escape 4:40
3. 3. Feasting on Flesh 4:13
4. 4. Black Star 4:00
5. 5. Buried Truth 5:04
6. 6. Double or Nothing 4:09
7. 7. Epitome of Perfection 4:19
8. 8. Art of the Blade 4:27
9. 9. Anatomy of Darkness 6:30