Style: Post/Doom-Metal (harsh vocals)
Review by: Callum
Country: Austria
Release date: November 20, 2020
Yes, 2084 is a fairly conspicuous reference to George Orwell’s influential social science-fiction novel, 1984. Dystopian themes from Orwell’s masterpiece are especially poignant in today’s sociopolitical climate so artists needn’t look far for inspiration. They are a fairly well established concept in music, especially in progressive rock and metal (see Operation: Mindcrime, 2112, The Wall), however some are more subtle about it than others. Anderwelt have opted for the unabashed waving of direct or bastardized references to the novel in your face with mentions of ‘thought police’, ‘big sister’ and doublethink slogans like ‘war is peace’. You may be able to tell the direction this review is taking but, despite my distaste for on the nose references at the expense of coming across as edgy, I will try to separate the themes from the music itself as best as I can.
Well, the music isn’t great either. Each band member is competent, and there is a fair amount of atmosphere building for a relatively short 40 minute play time. However, the song structures of each of the four tracks are unimaginative considering the flood of post- and doom metal acts active today. Generally this structure is a slow intro to a heavier doom riff, back to a slower, quieter break and finally ending on the same doom riff with more intensity and some tremolo-picked post-metal sections scattered throughout. There are exceptions to this: “Luv” is a much faster track where the same riff doesn’t actually get repeated much, an interlude in “Pax” calls back the nursery rhyme intro to the record, and “True” features some groovier riffs. “Pax” also has the most varied use of melody, both in guitars and in the harsh vocals that verge on sounding like Joe Duplantier of Gojira. Later on in the same track, however, the intensifying repetition of the lyrics ‘Yes, you’ll make me a traitor’ could have come from the metalcore playbook. The cello work is the most interesting feature of 2084, its prevalence in the atmosphere-building sections is noteworthy, and it adds some much needed texture to the otherwise run-of-the-mill post-metal climaxes.
It is impossible to ignore the heavy handed references to Orwell. The nursery rhyme I mentioned is ‘Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree’, taken word for word from the novel. Then there is the dramatised public address over a tannoy in the middle of “Luv” that alerts of some kind of intruder and decries sedition against the government etc. This was the moment that ruined the entire album for me. You could get away with this in dramatic 80’s rock operas like Operation: Mindcrime, but considering the intended seriousness of the doomy metal music, it comes across as farcical. I can’t really recommend this album except for exemplifying what not to do when incorporating or paying homage to a great dystopian novelist like Orwell.
Recommended tracks: Pax, Plenty, True
Recommended for fans of: The Ocean, Amenra, Cult of Luna
Final verdict: 4/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Metal-Archives page
Label: Electric Fire Records – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook
Anderwelt is:
– Phil Wintersberger (vocals)
– Simon Öller (guitar)
– Dominik Königsdorfer (bass)
– Andreas Pilsl (cello)
– Thomas Kössler (drums)
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