PURIFICATION

Anubis Gate's debut album "Purify" is not a bad album at all, but it's not the best Anubis Gate album either. It's a solid blend of power metal and not-too-quirky progressive metal. An, while not ripping these bands off, Anubis Gate do remind be a bit of a combination of early Queensrÿche, Fates Warning, Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.

While the guitars and drums a dominant, as is typical of heavy metal, there are plenty of keyboards which, apart from a couple of solos, serve primarily athmospheric and background layering functions. There is a nice keyboard solo in the title track, which also employs some Depeche Mode-ish keyboard effects in the bridge, which actually works very well. There is also some interesting call-response type of interchange between the lead guitar and the keyboards in "I, Demon", and there's a certain Jean-Michel Jarre feel to "Kingdom of Duat". The guitar sound is quite heavy (and on later releases it is even more so), and the driving guitar riffs oscillate between rhythmically complex probably Pantera inspired riffs, power metal style staccato riffs and riffs based on sustained power chords and open string figures. The track "Hypernosis" is an example of this balanced combination between these different types of riffs. Some of the rhythm guitar work also reminds me of post "Excursion Demise" Invocator Anubis Gate also make use of guitar melodies and guitar harmonies, which, while simpler than on future releases, work quite well, and seem to be inspired by the work of Queensrÿche. So, there are many interesting elements on this album, but I think what makes it progressive is primarily an approach to composition which is akin to that of Queensrÿche prior to "Hear in the Now Frontier".

Especially the tracks "Hypernosis", "In the Comfort of Darkness", "Before Anubis", "I, Demon", "The Shadow", and the epic "Discrowned".

Torben Askholm's vocals may take some getting used to, because of his use of vibrato and the nature of his voice itself, but once you get your head around it, it works very well, and he really is a good singer. The downside to me is the production of the drums, and I think it's very strange that the hi-hat and ride cymbals have been panned out to the right. It gives a sense of imbalance.

But all in all a fine album that should appeal to fans of progressive metal and power metal.

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