Heavy thrash metal with a fine balancing of the creative freedom to play and the conceptual, atmospheric intention of a bigger project – independent solo artist Ankoth delivers a deadly force of intense metal pace and weight, with the unmistakable Danu’s Decline.
Not simply a single genre of hardcore metal, but essentially a screeching fusion of organic and programmed traits, cascading down at an almighty tempo, which seems boldly chaotic but also consistently grounded and recognisable throughout 3.5 minutes of music.
Danu’s Decline explores the impending man-made apocalypse, tackling issues like pollution, climate change and war, with Danu being the Mother Goddess of Earth in Celtic Paganism. The song reflects upon the greed and power of mankind becoming out of control and destructive, and thus directly initiating Danu’s fall or decline.
Ankoth arranges this almost like a progressive metal journey, with fragments of choir voices in the distance, and certain stylistic shifts – the warped guitar solo fragments, the changes in volume and fullness. It’s all subtle but important to the decline of Danu, and this creative edge is made clear as we listen through the opening track of Danu’s Decline as a two-track EP.
Incoming Doom is notably less intrusive, but still artistically focused on the underling theme and feelings. Both were initially recorded on a four-track cassette recorder, before Ankoth turned to full on production – an unorthodox approach that helped really ignite the unique intensity and presence of the music.
The second time you listen to this title-track, the more familiar and purposeful its layers and intensity seem, and there’s a strong groove to appreciate – a consistency, a rising passion, and certain looping riffs and references that help maintain a level of story and substance amidst the mania of the mix.
Ankoth is a solo British thrash metal / speed metal artist, and has been making unique music of this nature since 2018. Find Ankoth on Facebook, YouTube, Banndcamp & the Website.
