Descended from the Mountains

Anima Hereticae are a Finnish trio that formed back in 2020 and released their brief debut EP, Ov Behest, in 2021. That one slipped by me, but their first full-length, Descended from the Mountains, has slowly but surely left me engrossed with its dark, bombastic hybrid of black and death metal that contains a depth of sound and composition that's not immediately obvious. Despite having the rare opening intro that actually prepares you for the rest of the album with "Arcane" before grabbing you through the speakers with the killer "Two Wolves," this is an album that takes time to properly digest, as there are a number of clever nuances found throughout the songwriting. That's not to say it's inaccessible, as the massive, thoroughly catchy "Cimmerian Darkness" can attest, but with time, the real hidden greatness of this album will come to light, as on the marching, distinctive "Kalman Väki" and the epic, downright gorgeous title track, and they only ever get better the more you listen to them.

Anima Hereticae are still fairly unknown at the time of writing this, but I'm willing to bet that will change as more time passes and others get to hear the incredible potential brimming from this debut. Strongly recommended.