If someone mentions France to you, the first things that will come to mind are fashion, art and good wine. This cultural country has also given birth to many important extreme bands, one of which is Anorexia Nervosa.

It was October 1995 when the first Anorexia Nervosa line up consiting of Stefan Bayle (guitars), Pier Couquet (bass), Nilcas Vant (drums), Marc Zabe (guitars) and Stephane Gerbaud (vocals) released a demo called "Nihil Negativum". The band’s next three releases ("Exile"in 1997, "Sodomizing The Archangel" in 1999 and "Drudenhaus" in 2000) managed to create a loyal fan base for the band. The experience gained from touring with bands like Rotting Christ, Cradle Of Filth and Enslaved, and the early replacement of Marc Zabe and Stephane Gerbaud by two very important musicians (Mr.Xort on strings/orchestration and Mr.Hreidmarr on vocals), paved the way for what many people consider to be the band’s best studio release – 2001’s "New+Obscurantis+Order".

I have listened to this album more than three times in a row, and I can honestly say that it was a joyful experience each and every time. I hate putting labels to music, but since it’s important to describe what the band sounds like, I would label them as Majestic Black Metal.

The intro of "Mother Anorexia", with it’s very impressive keyboard melodies and aggressive blast beats is a delicious starter and the best introduction to "Chatiment de la Rose", one of the best melodic Black Metal songs I have ever listened to. Many people have accused the band of trying to copy the style and sound of Dimmu Borgir and Cradle Of Filth, but I cannot believe that any person who has listened to that song can continue to claim such a thing. The holocaust continues with "Black Death, Nonetheless" and "Stabat Mater Dolorosa", both fast and melodic compositions. You can get a taste of French lyrics in "Le Portrait de la Vierge", a quite successful choice which also gives character to the album. "The Altar of Holocausts" will take you to a trip back to the beginning of the 90’s when the first chapters of the book of Black Metal were written. The band seem to disagree with the belief that there is no room for melody in Black Metal and take the chance to reveal their melancholic side with "Hail Tyranny", a beautifully piano-based song – simply excellent.

The album will end as impressively as it started with another killer track, "Ordo ab Chao: The Scarlet Communion". I didn’t have enough time to gather myself together when the first notes of "Solitude" stormed the house. Being a big Candlemass fan, I had my doubts as to whether the band was capable of performing this song, but they passed the test with the highest score.

There are two sides to every coin - the same applies for Black Metal. There is the melodic and the aggressive side and Anorexia Nervosa manage to combine both. An album with character for people who can appreciate music with finesse.

****

Review by John Stefanis

***** Out of this world | **** Pretty damn fine |
*** OK, approach with caution unless you are a fan |
** Instant bargain bin fodder | * Ugly. Just ugly