Review by Michael on September 10, 2024.

German deathers Anasarca are back with a three-piece demo called Goddess Of The Somber Shade and they don’t take any prisoners here but blast straight from the beginning. The band has existed since 1995 already and if you know them you know what to expect: a mixture of technical and brutal death metal with really deep-grunted vocals.

The first track ‘Achlys’ is both, brutal but also quite melodic in some parts. In some parts only because they ehm… let’s say borrowed a well-known melody from Edvard Grieg. This melody is used quite often in the song and matches really well with the stuff. Apart from that the song goes into brutal death metal mode more often than not, especially when it comes to the drumming. Not that it's exaggerated and excessive as bands like Sanguisugabogg do, no this is still fine to hear and more old-school than this modern brutal shit. 

‘He Is Dead’ is more traditional death metal with some melodic guitar riffs that remind a little bit of Dismember when they tried to do some Iron Maiden goes to hell-songs on their later albums. The bridge in that track is a really nice brutal banger, catchy and straight-in-your-face. If vocalist Michael didn’t sound that guttural and the drums weren’t so thunderous, I guess the song would be only half that brutal though.

And finally, they deliver us ‘In Memoriam’. That one starts slightly dissonant and slower than the other tracks (maybe Morbid Angel during “Covenant” is a good similarity) but turns into a wrecking ball in its evolution. In this song there are a lot of tempo changes to be found, with heavy blast beat attacks and double-layered vocals. Personally I like all three tracks. Maybe you can criticize it about the fact that they don't have any innovative elements in their songwriting (if you're searching for the fly in the ointment) but apart from this, their new demo (which sounds really good for a demo) is a solid piece of uncompromising death metal. Maybe slightly anachronistic and with a lot of 90s flair but hey! Who cares? I don´t because I still am deeply rooted in that decade when it comes to metal. Only TV was better in the 80s, gonna watch some SledgeHammer and Airwolf later today.

Check out their demo here or get it if you see them live. If any record company guys read this, you know what you have to do!

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Jack on June 21, 2003.

Content to continually write their own book, the Russian riddlers return with "Tiny Deaths," and an altogether different take on what they were scribbling with "Planeshift" (which looks decisively tame in comparison). The folk elements are still employed (to a more subtle extent) and there are still black metal components hiding under the sheets, but Rakoth has thrown the user manual out the window this time around, rather than resting it on the top shelf.

To approach Rakoth with preconceptions is a big, big no-no. They will thrash out whatever preemptive thoughts you had brewing up inside that deep, dark abyss you call your mind, and rip them to shreds. "Tiny Deaths" contains some truly ambitious numbers throughout its eleven tracks and walks a gamut of programmed club beats ('Trust This'), spoken Russian instrumental passages ('Horizon'), complete nonsense crooning ('Vicious Life'), and more stock standard black metal work (did I just use that phrase in conjunction with Rakoth?) in 'Tiny Deaths'.

"Tiny Deaths" is a record that requires you approach it with eyes wide open. I daresay fans of "Planeshift" will really get into what Rakoth has put together with "Tiny Deaths." If you are feeling that some of the more recent records out there are a bit insipid then you should check out "Tiny Deaths," which I can almost guarantee will provide you with some joy, even if it is fleeting.

Bottom Line: Flaunting a palpable sense of eccentricity and eclecticism yet again, Rakoth aren't going to make things simple for the easy-going listener. Jumping from point A to point K, while missing the ten preliminary steps between is a peculiar way to go about things, but then again to each their own, and "Tiny Deaths" is certainly one of those records.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 7
Atmosphere: 6
Production: 7
Originality: 8
Overall: 6

Rating: 6.8 out of 10