Origin:	Australia
Genres:	Black Metal, Industrial

The Amenta

The Amenta formed when members of various Sydney-based bands decided to band together and attempt something unique in the realm of extreme metal. The various members' real names are mostly unknown, with the exception of a couple of guys from Psycroptic. Essentially the band plays post-black metal with industrial touches, though that description only hints at their overall style. To these ears, they lie somewhere between Red Harvest and Anaal Nathrakh, as they are less industrial than the former, less caustic and harsh than the latter, and more dynamic than either of the two. The vocals are an almost death-ish growl, yet not monotonous, and the guitars are superbly crunchy. But it's the keyboards, though not at the forefront, that are the differentiator here, as they convey a futuristic atmosphere and perfectly complement the guitar riffs. Most importantly, this band writes real songs, not just the stringing together of riffs and noise like many extreme bands are prone to do. Occasus is an outstanding extreme metal album, easily one of the best of the year, and hopefully the start of something big for this down-under band.