Anagnorisis’ Beyond All Light might seem an unlikely contender for best black metal album of the year. The band’s from Kentucky (big shout out to fellow Louisvillian black metaller Panopticon, whose Austin Lunn formed Anagnorisis before leaving to go solo, again, with Panopticon), and it’s been six years since their first full-length which, I think it’s safe to say, passed a lot of people by. So Anagnorisis came from relative obscurity to blow us all away with Beyond All Light, a masterpiece of epic proportions that breaks a lot of the rules that somehow have come to shape modern US black metal. Opener “Eulerian Path” shows Anagnorisis’ ability to both blast and brood with precision, and you’ll notice something else: keyboards. Anagnorisis isn’t afraid to skew symphonic, and keys play an integral role across Beyond All Light. Along with layers upon layers of guitars and a near-constant double kick, synths create a foundation that is both triumphant and sorrowful. A violin, mandolin and even a sax make appearances, too — not very Black Metal these days, but damn if it doesn’t work. An incredible vocal performance by also-bassist Zachary Kerr, whose distorted screams grate over gorgeous guitar leads, is a Jekyll and Hyde for the ears and deserves special recognition. “Abyss” shows Anagnorisis can slow it down, and “Forever Night” shows the band knows how to write one hell of a closer, building and playing with tension on the way to an epic culmination. With Beyond All Light, Anagnorisis leapfrogged to the top ranks of American black metal. –Wyatt
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