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▓█▌▐█▌  ▓▀    ▀▀ ▓▀   ▀▓    ▀▀▀    ██▓ ██ ▀▀               ▀  █▌       ▓ ▀▀▀▀ ▀ ▐█▓ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▓██▄█▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▌▀ ░▓█▓░ ▀█▄                ▓▐█▀▀                      ░▓█▓░ ░█▓░░  ▓                      ▓        ▓░▓█░  ░▓▄█████▄░   ▄ ▄  ▓▄██████▄░  ░▐██▀▀▀▀███▓░ ▀▓▀ ▀▓▀ ░███▀▀▀▀██▄▓ ▀▀▀   ▀▀▀▀▀▀  ▀▀▀▀▀   ▀▀▀ ███  ████▀    ▄▀▀▄▄█████▄▄ ▄▄█████▄▄▀▀▄   ▀████   ██  ██   ▀██▄▐▄  ■ ▄██▀▀ ▀██▄ ▄ ▄██▀ ▀▀██▄ ■ ▄ ▄██▌   ▐█▓  ░▓▄   ▀██▄▀▓█▄▄▄█▀▀ ▄ ▄▓▓▄ ▐█▌ ▌ ▀▓▀ ▐▓▓▌ ▄▓▓▄ ▄ ▀▀▓▄▄░▄██▀   ▄▀      ▓░▓▄███   ▐▀ ▀▓▀ ▀▀ ▄██▀ ▀██▄ ▀▀ ▀▓▀  ▀███▄ ▓▓        ▄██▀▓   ■ ▀▄▀ ▀▄▀ ■   ░▀███░       ▓███▓     ░░ ▐▌ ▐▌     ░███▓      ███▌░  ▀ ▀ ███▓    ▐██▀ ▀███░   ██▌  Artist...: Black Anvil ░▐██▌  ░▐██   Album....: Triumvirate  ░██▌░ ▓▐██   Year.....: 2010  ▓▐██▓ ▓▐██   Rel.Date.: 2020-02-02  ░▐██▓  ▐██   Genre....: Black Metal   ██▌░ ░ ██▌  Label....: Relapse Records   ██▌    ▐██  Source...: CD  ▐██    ░▐██▌ Type.....: Album ▐██▌░  ▓▄████ Quality..: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo ████▌░ ▓▄████ ████▌░   ███▌░  ███▓   ▐██░░▀█▄░         ▓█▌  ███  ▀██▓ ▓█▄        ▄█▀ ▓██▀    ▓██▄ ▓▓▀▄    ▄▓▀  ▄██▓░     ██▌    ▓  ▄▄▄ ░    ▐██▓░       ██▌    ░ ░▀▄▓▓█▀█▄▀▀░     ▓██░         ░██░     ░ ░▄ ▄▄██▐▓▓█▄░▄█▌██▀▀ ▀░ ░ ▄▄▀▀█░░▐█░      ▄  ▐█▌░    ░▄▄▀▓▓███▀▄░ ▓▄▄█▌▓▓█ ▓█░   ▀░▀  ██     ▀▀▀ ░█▓▄▄▄█▀░ ▓█        ░▐█▌    ░█▌▐▓ ▓▄▄░ ▌         ░█░     ▄  ▐▓▓▀▀▀░▓█▄▄░       ░░▄█▄ ▄ ██▄ ▀░▀ ▀█░▄▄▄  ▄█░▄▀▀▄▀▀▄░▀▀▄       ▀▀████████▀░ ▀▀░  ▄█▓░░░░▀░░█ █▄█▓        ▐█░▀██▀ ▄█▓░░░ ▐ ▄ ░▓█▄        ▓  ▐▌  ▐ ▄█▀█░ ░  ░ ▄ ▀█▄▓█░    ░▓▓▀▀░▄ ▌▓   ■░▒ ░ ▄ ▐▀▀▓▄█▓░░ ░ ░ ▄█▀█░█▐▓▌▀▄         ░▀█▌  ▓▬ ▓▀▓ ░▄▄▓▀▓░      ░▀█░▀█▄░░  ░█░ ██ █░▀█▐▌       ░▓░░▐▌   ▌ ░░■  ▄█▐  ▐       ▓▓▓█░▓█▄▄█░  █▓█▓▌░ ▀  ▄         ▓░▓ █▓▐░▌ ▓ ░▓▓ ▓▐▒▄░░▐▓█  ▌         █▀▀░▐▀░█▀▓  ▐▌ █▌    ▀░▀     ▄ ▐░▌░▐█ █▌ ▓   ░█░░█▀ ▐▓▐░ ▀▄▄▀▀▌░   ▄▄███▐████▄▓  ▌        █  ░   █ ─▀▀▀█▓░█▄▌  ▐░▐░ ▄▄▄░██  ░ ░ ░▓░  ▐▌▓▄▌▓▓▌▓▐▓█▀  ■                ▄ ▌     ▀█▄█▌ █▌▐▓░█▓ ▀ ░░░ ░▓█▄█  █▓▓▓▓▓█▄▓▓▐▓  ░        █  ░  ▄ ▀ ░  ░  ▓██ 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▓█░▓▄▄▄████▄▓▀ ▄▄▓ ▄▄▄░█▌ ░▄▀▀▄█▓░ ▓▓█░████▓███░██▀▓▓███▓ ▓██▓▐█▌ ███▄▄   ▐███▄ ▓▄█▀▀  ▐█▄█▀  ▄▀▀░ ▄█▀░ ░ ▓████████▐██████▓█▓ ▓█ ██  ░█▓ ▐█▄▓██▄██▄▐█▌░   ▐██▌▓▄█▀▓    ▄▄▀▀▀▀▄▄▄ ▓██▓▓▓▀▄████▐░███ █░█▌▄ ▐█▀██▀ ██▀   ▀███▄▄█▓ ███████▄▓▀▀▀▀▄▓  ░▄██▓ ▓ ▓██▓▀▄█████▓ ▄▄▀▀▓▄▄█▄▐█▄▄▓▄▄▄▄▄▄▄░▄░░░▄▄▀▄▄▀█░▄▄▄▄▄▄▐█▌ ▄██▀▄▄▄▄▄▄ ██░████ ▓     ░  ▓██░                        ▓█▄█▀     ▓██████            ▀▀▄▓                      ▓▀▀▀       ▓ █    1. What is Life if Not Now! 4:55 2. Crippling 1:00 3. The Evil of All Roots 5:46 4. Ultimate Reality 3:41 5. Angels to Dust 5:02 6. We Own You 4:42 7. Scalping 4:39 8. Eliminate 1:32 9. Dead and Left 4:44 10. With Transparent Blood 5:14 ------ 41:15 Black Anvil are a three-piece black metal act from the United States, and their sophomore effort, ôTriumvirate,ö exceeds on many levels. It resembles bands such as Watain, Arckanum, and maybe even Dissection, having an appealing sound and style that isnÆt exactly unique but does indeed serve to combine many riffs and gather them together very neatly and densely. This black metal album tumbles on through different phases, the ever-present one being an undeniable melodic influence to their black metal sound. The album starts of with ôWhat Is Life If Not Now!ö, and youÆre immediately gestured into a soothing atmosphere that pummels on with shrieking yet smooth vocals and melodic riffs every now and then. The riffs found on here, as previously stated, have a very appealing tone to them. TheyÆre catchy and somber at the same time. Most of the riffs arenÆt as blazingly fast as in many black metal albums, but theyÆre well thought out and throw in patterns that successfully catch your attention. They mix high and low notes, strumming smoothly and releasing controlled bursts of energy. As well as melodic riffs, traditional black metal ones and sometimes even a short-lived more death metal-influenced riff will crop itself up, such as in the intro to ôDead and Leftö or ôWith Transparent Blood.ö The drumming on ôTriumvirateö takes what the guitars are doing and follows along with it, being slow at times and at others plain, fast blast beats. The somehow calm but at the same time evil vocals mesh together with the melodic riffs and combine to produce an effect that isnÆt always present on black metal albums. Parts like 2:43 on ôWhat Is Life If Not Now!ö will instantly mesmerize you and put you into a trance of sorts. The bleak and relaxed riffing generates a tranquil style that will push you through the rest of the album. The speed on this record often varies greatly from relatively fast (never overbearingly so) to slower passages and the songwriting is great, pitching in different riffs here and there and transitioning smoothly into more sluggish phases. ôWe Own Youö proves that they can gather up different notes to create dissonant riffs, especially in the intro, and soon switch into a crushingly hypnotizing riff that has a blast beat striking along in the background. The production is tidy and rounds up the riffing to create a great, almost tangible feeling. The vocals always seem to just seep through the air and blend in with the other instruments, but they definitely create a great sound that glues everything else together. This is a solid effort that has intrigued me to hearing more from Black Anvil. The melodic and dissonant riffing definitely succeeds in showing that theyÆre creative and know how to condense riffs to generate a great end result. The production is very smooth, not raw as is usually the case with black metal (a con in my opinion, but it doesn't detract from the music and it does have its merits). The tight musicianship produces well thought-out riffs as well as more easy-going ones. Certainly an enduring achievement and I look forward to hearing more from these guys. --- I wonder how extreme metal circa 2010 will be looked back upon by those of us still suckling from it's crusty teat in 10-15 years and what particular trends and styles will be seen to have dominated certain years as I find myself repeatedly listening to the "Triumvirate", Black Anvil's second album, thinking what a good record it is yet how it also never gives the impression of an album rising majestically from the hordes. Are the standards that high these days that a record as solid as this one, a blackened thrash tome with a spitting Bolt Thrower influence at it's heart, can't get this reviewer's hairs standing on end, or is it that the sheer proliferation of bands across every conceivable style is making it hard to discern which areas are truly the most exciting and where the most innovation is taking place? I'll leave that thought for you to ponder on.. I knew nothing of Black Anvil before this record but their being on Relapse (given the meaty and clinical production job that fact was pretty quickly obvious) and describing their sound to another novice these New Yorkers would be something along the lines of Goatwhore meeting Bolt Thrower for a war games session with Mayhem arriving fashionably late. It's not done as powerfully or as gritty as England's finest but there is a grand power to many of BA's riffs in the likes of "Ultimate Reality" and "Dead and Left" that recall the sound of rolling tanks that is essentially Bolt Thrower's entire discography as considerably more of "Triumvirate" ends up at such a speed that would be expected from the opening to the "What Is Life If Life Not Now!" and more Scandic BM tracks "Angels To Dust" and "The Evil Of All Roots". The mixed pace of tracks "We Own You" and "Eliminate" fluctuate between the boring and intriguing before it is "Dead And Left" that seals the album's 'Best Track' prize for it's grinding, brutal assault which perhaps, not without coincidence, examines my ability to try sit still through a track without banging the mane in approval (result: impossible). "Triumvirate" is not the home for extreme metal innovation as the lead vocals project venom no more or less than many of our other Relapse-based friends and the spirit of innovation key to all leaders in not to be found, but I would have a hard time not recommending it to any friend fond of a spot of 21st Century black/thrash/death in their diet. Black Anvil may be no rank Major but they are, on this basis, another Sergeant in the prolific and powerfully strong army of metal ready to die for the cause. --- Triumvirate came as quite a surprise to me. Black Anvil have evolved at a rapid clip, taking a step past the palm-muted, Morbid Tales informed chugging of Time Insults the Mind. That album galloped and grooved, dispensing death from horseback. Triumvirate barrels along like a locomotive, mercilessly mowing you down and only occasionally slowing the pace to hose blood off the cowcatcher. Black Anvil have a certain street-smart, common sense approach to songwriting that really appeals to me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate songs that are catchy, memorable and crushing all at the same time. The band's black metal ambitions are free from dissimulation. This music simply kills, radiating a genuine desire to triumph and destroy. ôWhat Is Life If Not Now!ö is a statement, not a question. This veritable Zen koan of a song kicks off Triumvirate with prodigious force and purpose. The production on Triumvirate is on a completely different plane from the band's debut. It sounds as if someone scraped off a layer of crust to reveal a gleaming monstrosity. Gary Bennett's guitars are huge and enveloping, Raeph Glicken's drums are mixed to perfection, and the bass is particularly percussive. If anything, Paul Delaney's vocals sounds twice as venomous on this album. The lyrics read like an evil poetic psalm, eloquently annotating an impious theosophy. Triumvirate is filled with riffs that roll relentlessly down the tracks, alternating tromolo picked propulsion with sections of crushing combustion. The railway is not always straight; this train hits some pleasantly unorthodox melodic curves that don't derail the menacing atmosphere. Gary Bennett's predilection for spectral arpeggiation has become a pleasant trademark of the Black Anvil sound. ôDead and Leftö sports a Christ-crushing, hammered on riff that gets me up out of my seat and sends me sprinting around my house in hysterics. ôAngels To Dustö drives home a memorable melodic riff, then lets loose a rhythmic bombardment that does wonders for wrecking my neck. I'm not fucking around with the train metaphors; I don't think I've ever heard an album elicit such a distinct sensation of raging along the rails. Be that as it may, Triumvirate is in no way limited by the sentiment it engenders. It's merely the sign of a perfect rhythmic execution of some damned fine tunes. If my constantly growing enthusiasm for Triumvirate is any indication, it will certainly end up as one of my favorite albums of the year. Ripper's note: there are 3 different versions of this CD, this one is https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Black_Anvil/Triumvirate/629314                                                                                                     ▀▀░                                                                                                                ░▄▀                                  ▄█▀                                             ░▄           ░▐███░               ▀█░▄▄▄                    ▄░       ▀█░░                      ░           ▀▀░                                         ▄  ░                                          ▄     █          ▀                 ▄              ▄█▄ ▄ ██▄         ▀░▀     ▄         ▀                ▀░▀   ▀         ▀▀████████▀░                   ▀ ▄      ░                      ░░       ░▀██▀                    ▀██▄                ▄               ▐     ░      ░  █▀▄    ▐▓▓▌   █                    ▄   ▄▄       ░                    ▄▄▌█  ▄▄▓▓▓▀  ▄                      ▄ ▀   ████      ░                   ▐███▌  ░ ░                  ▄██▀     ▄▄██▄▄           ░           ▄▄███▄▄ ▄  ▓                         ▐▓▓▌  ░   ▓████▄        ▀          ▀    ▓█████▓  ▀ ▄                           ▀▓▓▓▄▄   ▐▓███ ▌                       ▌█████      ▀██▄   ▄                ░▄  ▀▀██▄▐████ ▌▐ ▌▓                ▓▐ ▌█▓███       ▐▓▓▌ ▀░▀           █    █  ░ ░▓▐████▄▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▄ ▐▐·▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▄█████    ▄▄▓▓▓▀                            ▓ ▓▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐▓▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌█████ ▄█▓▀▀  ▄░ ░            ▄▄▄░      ▓     ░▐████▄▌▐▄▌▌▄▌▌▐ ▌▐▐▄▐▐▄▌▄▐▐▓▐▄▌█████ ▓     █               █████      ▐▄░   ▓▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐▓▐ ▌█████   ▓░   ▄         ▐▓    █▓███░    ▓▐█░▄▄  ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐█ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌█████    ▄██▄ ▀ ▄      █▌    █████▓   ██▀█▀▀   ▐█▓██ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▌███▓█   ▐█▓██▓   ▀██▄ ▀██▀   █████▓░    ▓█▌    ▐████▓▌▐▄▌▌▄▌▌▄ ▌▐▐▄▐▐▓▌▌▐▐▄▐▄▌█████   ▐████▌    ▐▓▓▌▓█▌   ▄█▓███▄░     ▐█▄▓  ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐ ▐ ▀█▓███   ▐████▌ ▄▄▓▓▓▀  █▓  ████████▄▄▓ ▄█████▌ ▐████ ▌▐ ▌▌ ▌▌▐ ▌▐▐ ▐▐ ▌▌▐▐▓▐ ▌█████   ▓████▌░ ▄▄   ▄▄█▄▄ ██████████████████████████████▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄     █████  ░██▓████▓██▓▓██████ █░█████▄▀█▄░████████▄▄▄▄▄██████▓████████░██████▄▄▄▄▄███████░▄██░█░█████████ ▓██▀█████▓░░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░░░▓███▓█████ ████████▓ ▓██▓▐████▓ ▓██ █░███ █░██████▓ ███▓▄▀█▓ ▓ ▓█████▓███████ ▓███ ░▄▄▄▓████▓ ▓████████▓ ▓██████▓ ▓████▓