These guys have been very active ever since I reviewed their debut demo “Into The Dark” from 2000. First of all there’s been a 7″EP (“Infernal Devotion”) through Sombre Records, which was followed by a split EP with BURIED GOD (“Eye Of The Sleepless”) and most recently (in March 2003) the split CD / LP / MC “Heretic’s Curse” with Canadas LUST came out through Iron Tyrant from Italy. The good thing for all you die hard collectors out there is the fact that none of the tracks that got used for those releases made it onto the band’s debut full length “Necromantic Rituals” now. So, what you previously bought continues to remain all exclusive, while the full length album features nothing but brandnew material. Musically ANAEL luckily haven’t changed a bit – it’s still a very dark and doomy form of old school Black Metal with an overall quite occult atmosphere and references to HELLHAMMER and early SAMAEL. The songs are all very simple structured, mostly midpaced to doomy in speed, yet always full of the right ancient feeling that made the releases in the late 80s / early 90s so special. When it comes to their influences, the band itself names Celtic Frost, Bathory, Venom and Mayhem on one hand, and Black Sabbath, Candlemass and Pentagram on the other – a combination which pretty much sums it up perfectly. So, to answer my own question from the demo review: yes, this full length impressed me in a similar way as the demo, if not more. Contact and further info: www.anael.de, email: info@anael.de