Anaal Nathrakh

The Profile

Anaal Nathrakh are a British extreme metal duo formed in Birmingham in 1999 by Dave "V.I.T.R.I.O.L." Hunt and Mick "Irrumator" Kenney. Their sound fuses industrial-tinged black metal with grindcore ferocity, yielding a signature blend of blastbeat intensity, serrated riffing, and bleak, epic hooks across albums such as The Codex Necro, Eschaton, Hell Is Empty…, and In the Constellation of the Black Widow.

Reviews note the duo lineup (Hunt on vocals, Kenney on instruments/programming), the frequent use of drum machine, and a mix of black metal, grindcore, death, and industrial elements. Eschaton (2006) was released by Season of Mist and features guests Attila Csihar and Shane Embury. Hell Is Empty… (2007) was released via FETO Records, co-run by Kenney and Embury. Themes include apocalypse, misanthropy, and modern decay, with contrasting epic clean choruses and feral verses.

Three enthusiastic DeBaser reviews paint Anaal Nathrakh as a British duo welding industrial black metal to grindcore with vicious precision. The writeups praise the apocalyptic atmosphere, brutal drum programming, and razor-sharp riffing, while noting surprising epic, catchy choruses. Highlights center on Eschaton (2006), Hell Is Empty… (2007), and In the Constellation of the Black Widow (2009), with nods to FETO Records and guest spots by scene icons. Verdict: essential listening for extreme metal fans.