Ancst - The Humane Condition Tape

My penultimate review features this two-track EP from Berlin black metallers Ancst. Ancst are more of a collective that a band, as their members create visual art (like the above tape cover), they run record labels and they play in other bands, including Afterlife Kids who I featured as a recent "random band of the week" on here. Talking of the art work, Ancst have that visual character that I look for in bands. They also play brilliant black metal and ambient noise.The Humane Condition was release earlier this year, limited to 100 copies from fellow German label Dark Omen Records.

 Tracklist:-

1. Ascetic

2. Entropie 

The Humane Condition begins with slow building noise. That noise sounds metallic at times and as the guitars fade-in, a spoken word sample bursts out of the speaks. Ascetic takes elements from blackened hardcore and doom as it kicks in. The guitars provide an ambient, melodic backbone, which is held together by precise drumming. The vocals are ferocious, deep screams that are used minimally to allow the music to have full effect. Ancst teeter on the edge of black metal, in a more modern place but as the closing section begins, you get your closest hint of black metal thanks to some fast and energetic drumming, as well buzzsaw guitar. An intriguing start and a song with a full range of emotions.

Entropie hits the spot from the start. It's instantly fast and has more of a grim atmosphere. There's more urgency in the screams and the wall of noise created by the guitars matches the passion that Ancst have for their political beliefs, with their messages hidden within the lyrics. There's no pretentiousness here and when Ancst switch from swirling black metal madness to thoughtful instrumental calm, they do so with skill which shows how accomplished they are as musicians and song writers. I think that's one thing that sets black metal apart from other metal genres. Whether the band is one-man or many musicians, there's always a step-up in quality within the music.

Ancst may have outside influences and may sound more modern in their approach, but in 2013, with so much musical progression taking place, they fit in perfectly. Their black metal features strong production, which brings out their sound and they have an aesthetic, which takes some bands years to achieve. Ancst, as a band and as people are super busy, but they have new releases on the horizon, so make sure they stay on your radar.

Stream The Humane Condition here on Ancst's bandcamp page:-



There's options to purchase The Humane Condition as a digital download or via tape (of which there's only 4 left!), directly from Ancst's bandcamp page. You can also find other merch here - http://ancstcollective.storenvy.com/

If you're in the US, you can buy the tape from Dark Omen Records here - http://darkomenrecords.storenvy.com/

Ancst Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/angstnoise
Dark Omen Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/darkomenrecords