Review by Aaron on March 10, 2005.

There’s something in the water in England and I want it. From the UK have come bizarre Black Metal abominations such as Akercocke, Axis of Perdition and Anaal Nathrakh that took an already disturbing and monstrous genre of Metal and made it even uglier.

Anaal Nathrakh continues to do so with Domine Non Es Dignus. The duo most vile V.I.T.R.I.O.L. and Irrumator bring forth ten tracks that are all the more brutal for the rawer production, eschewing the use of keyboards or vocal distortion. Starting off with the chaotic soundscape of “I Wish I Could Vomit Blood on You….People” (which, in the spirit of keeping it real, includes the soothing sounds of actual puking), the listener gets a decent foundation point of what the mood of the next nine tracks are going to be. “Do Not Speak” is a great, full-speed-ahead rampage reminiscient of IX Equilibrium-era Emperor while the chorus has a definite Garm-like quality from his vocal work in Arcturus. “To Err is Human, To Dream- Futile” stands out as well as a militaristic, roaring assault that has absolutely no points of slowing down. The same can be said for “The Final Destruction of Dignity” which has some very Atilla Csihar-ish vocal maneuverings at points. An interesting facet of the album that comes through again and again is that, in deciding to not use keyboards in the album, Anaal Nathrakh push the boundaries of what can be done through vocal and guitar corruption to provide similar effects while being all the more disturbing for their differences.

The best summation of this album can be taken from the sample from George Orwell’s 1984 used on “Do Not Speak”: “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face… forever.” Domine Non Es Dignus will leave you feeling like this.


Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 7
Originality: 8
Overall: 8

Rating: 8 out of 10