Created in 1999 with the sole purpose of providing the soundtrack to Armageddon,
Anaal Nathrakh comprises Englishmen
V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (aka Dave Hunt, vocalist with
Benediction and
Mistress) and Irrumator (aka multi-instrumentalist
Mick Kenney, of
Aborym,
Frost,
Mistress, and owner of Necrodeath Studios). Taking their founding cues from Norwegian black metal leviathans such as
Mayhem,
Burzum, and
Darkthrone, the duo recorded two demos before delivering their first full album,
The Codex Necro, in 2001. Judging from the mostly positive reviews, the wait was worth it, and subsequent efforts
When Fire Rains Down from the Sky, Mankind Will Reap as It Has Sown (a 2003 EP),
Domine Non Es Dignus (2004),
Eschaton (2006),
Passion (2011),
Desideratum (2014),
A New Kind of Horror (2018), and
Endarkenment (2020), have advanced
Anaal Nathrakh into ever more technical and diverse -- but always vicious and nihilistic -- black metal realms, and have yet to disappoint. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia