Anthrodynia Unspeakable Horrors Emanating From Within Review
Anthrodynia
Unspeakable Horrors Emanating From Within
Nameless Grave Records
2025
I gotta tell ya, Canada has given us some fantastic metal throughout the last four decades. Our brothers to the North introduced the world to diverse acts like Anvil, Exciter, Razor, Annihilator, Voivod, Gorguts, Cryptopsy, Kataklysm, Strapping Young Lad, 3 Inches of Blood and so many more. There has never been a shortage of heavy from the land of poutine, and the latest to cross my desk is no exception. Edmonton’s Anthrodynia and their debut five song EP, Unspeakable Horrors Emanating From Within.
Before we dig in, let’s get a little background on these 90’s OSDM (old school death metal )/doom merchants. Per the band themselves, “As the behavior of mankind increases in cruelty and pettiness, a permanent state of exhaustion has taken its hold. These words define and inform the sound of ANTHRODYNIA.”. The band is just a duo, consisting of Derek Orthner – guitars, vocals, synth, effects and Durell Smith – drums/bass. For a two piece, these guys make a big helluva noise and present us with a well-rounded wall of sound. Said sound is multi-layered, covered in guitar harmonies, clean atmospheric parts, full and clear death grunts and growls, well placed drums and a tight and thundering bottom end. The EP was recorded, mixed, and produced by the band’s own Derek Orthner with mastering by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. What you get from that is an overall organic and somewhat polished production that contains just the right amount of bite and rawness. I really can't say enough good things about how this is presented aurally. I applaud them for taking the time to make something so seasoned and professional sounding.
Salivating over the sonics aside, you are in for crunchy, thick slabs of death metal colliding with slower doom moments that can get plenty moody and surprisingly melodic in places. My personal favorite aspect would be Derek’s vocals, which recall prime John McEntee’s (Incantation) Onward to Golgotha era. They are properly low and menacing and there's nary a pig squeal or modern technique to be found, thank goodness. In fact, I would say much of the output here is directly inspired by those first couple Incantation albums, as well as Grief, Disembowelment, Spectral Voice and Temple of the Void. As such, these are not short songs. Opener (and my pick for best track) “Severed from Mundanity” is just shy of eight minutes and draws us in with its low n’ slow dirge before blasting our heads off with relentless pacing, segueing into more double bass plod and guitar atmospherics, then bludgeoning us with held out power chording and more guitar harmonies. After that, the 8:58 depressive intro of “Engulfed in Grief” makes way into head bobbing territory replete with the hallmark guitar pull offs and trills. Up next is “Cathartic Dissemination” which is more clean droning giving way to effected flange guitars over more monolithic riffs and spacious drums. We then pick up the speed for “A Rotten Sun” before it settles into mid-tempo blunt force and blast beats. The closing track, “Suffering Pure Light” brings things home with another nearly nine minutes of synth laden weirdness, funeral paced verses, melodic guitar lines with pronounced galloping and chugging that is earth shattering heavy before more effect riddled guitar. Then it's over, and five songs in 36:44 seem to have gone by oddly quickly. You're never bored, and the sound is varied enough between the faster elements and the doomed out growly stuff that you immediately want to press play again. Anthrodynia are apparently not concentrating on many live shows, so they can primarily focus on the writing, recording and production side of things and I have to say, given the strong showing here, that's the right decision and I simply cannot wait to hear what they come up with next.
Canada's terrifying, gruesome twosome are knocking it outta the park. Unspeakable Horrors Emanating From Within is one of the strongest death/doom debuts I've heard in recent memory. Nicely done lads.
~TB