I don't know the meaning or the origin of the monicker, but you'd better take a note of this relatively new band's name assembled in 2011. This supergroup currently features Jorge Rosado from the never-forgotten Brooklyn's Merauder, drummer Anders Löwgren of Dead Reprise fame, Path Of No Return's Daniel Cederborg on guitar duties and ex-Soilwork' and ex-Dark Tranquillity's bass player Daniel Antonsson.
The debut album was recorded in several different studios due to the fact that not only is the vocalist from NY, but also because the remaining members come from cities quite distant one from another in Sweden, although it has to be said that a good final record engineering patchwork was done.
The lyrics deal with: the poor and the unlucky ones blocked in a ghetto all their lifetime, armed revolution and resistance, courage, who's gonna save God when he's alone, illusions and disappointments caused by the vain search for love, bred murderers, retribution from above (the best lyrical content for sure), surrendering to a deity to purify oneself, a rebel against false preachers, religious fanatics at war, those who feel no direction or reason to live on this world, purity and freedom even when you're being forced on your knees and heritage protectction of the New World tribes.
Exploding after a row introducing the song, "Ghetto" is crushing Metalcore with groovy breakdowns, pitch harmonics galore, Rosado's echoed screams showing his South American vocal genes that made Merauder popular and a faded-away finalè.
Accompanied by a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaRbFbd2-48), "I Won't Run" displays gigantic annihilating drumwork along with palm-muted rifferama and a rhythm break moving in territories dear to God Forbid and Killswitch Engage, as well as vocals alà Devildriver and a top-notch axe solo.
While "Courage" is straight Metalcore with mid-tempo intervals made just to make you headbang and downtuned guitar riffs, "Save God" has the guitars embroider riffs heavily inspired by Sepultura and Nailbomb, a couple more of original riffs and vocals constantly aggressive in diverse ways and slightly delayed.
An arpeggio stands out inside a mid-speed track ("Love"), whereas choking drums and guitars later dominate along with axe squeals in "Bloodlust". Son of Devildriver and Hatebreed, "Temple of Lies" also contains a catchy and original structure, and a brief, heartfelt guitar solo.
"Whiskey in the Jar"riff in the less combative parts, "Warrior of Truth" also includes heavier episodes, such as one in crescendo with clean preparatory vocals bridging to the Hardcore/metal riff and a melancholic guitar solo; the composition then returns to the alternation between groovy and barbaric elements and remains the most different than all the other 18 here presented.
Unexpectedly, the title track is an instrumental reminding Metallica's "The Unforgiven" with a greater number of orchestrations, while "Shango" leaves no time to breathe; besides the tight riffs, there's a rain of licks a piercing short axe solo, more elaborated guitar structures making the song more special than the average of the genre.
Full-throttle Hardcore and Death Metal is what is waiting for you in "Know My Name", one of the heaviest tracks, embellished by a solo deeply rooted in Metal, a catchy refrain and a chugging riff bringing the time length just over two minutes.
Nice is the contrast between a Black Sabbathian lead guitar and an atmospheric one in the vein of Vader during the non-HC/Metal parts; probably not appreciated by everybody, I find "Lost" particularly interesting and a pattern to start from in future songwriting: it may just lead to other fine surprises if the inspiration is still alive.
The beginning entrusted with a didgeridoo player propels another pearl - "Pure and Free" - owing heaps to Hatebreed, Terror, Madball and the likes and delivering a few Spanish vocals.
HC/M with excellent guitar embranchments, "New World" offers arpeggios in a different manner than previously, vaguely on the path of the most experimental Napalm Death, even if the vocals are quite far from Barney's; the composition is closed by a construction pretty close to In Flames.
The volume becomes immediately louder with "Slither", the first of the five tracks off the "Santa Muerte" Ep added in this version; here "New World Disorder" Biohazard's influence is stronger, being it a really NY-styled punishing track the way Billy Graziadei and his comrades have accustomed us to listen over the last two decades.
Punk 'n' Rolling for a few seconds, "Who's to Blame" is intense, fast and short, fit to be sung with the index lifted during the chorus; you can clearly realize that it's the song that absorbs all of the singer's energies, just leaving him a pause during the melodic central fracture.
Drunk, animal-like vocals, a chunky riff, another Slayerian guitar solo and sublime bass lines characterize "Leeches"; on the other hand, the title track incorporates awesome tough vocals, the best of the whole CD, while the main riff takes no prisoners; I have never been to or watched a live of Akani, but I'm convinced the refrain is already a continuously requested repertoire classic over the posse's live shows; when the song ends with a Thrash Metal solo fading out I feel that lucky to have this version in my hands now, as I have totally missed the EP release in 2014.
It's not in the best of originality, yet "Through My Darkest Infernal" mixes hard riffing and suave grooves into a 14-track fat album of boot stomping, head moshing magnificence that you didn't even know had been missing from your life.
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