Sacrificial - Aenimus (Review)

Hailing from the Bay Area in Northern California, Aenimus has somehow existed since 2013, yet not much heard or talked about - even to a point of being signed under the mighty Nuclear Blast Records. With already two full-length records under their discography, the band has returned for a three-track EP. “Sacrificial” by Aenimus is out now, and I am here to talk about it.

“Broken Throne” showcases choppy riffs in the fashion of The Zenith Passage, with technical elements over a deathcore rhythm. A track which certainly reminds me of “Blind Kings” by Chelsea Grin, this one is both grandeur and heavy. The chuggy rhythms often transition to punishing breakdowns just in the right amounts in certain parts. The biggest highlight though, is the catchy chorus with the mesmerizing clean vocals of Seth Stone, that really encapsulates you in the moment.

Groovy to the bone, “Wasteland” starts off with dissonance as its prime weapon before swiftly flowing into the fast paced sections of vicious technical madness. The symphonic elements and the use of keyboards add to the immense layer of dense wall of sound in the auditory lobes of the listener. Even the fecority on the guitar solo reaches to Archspire level. While the use of the clean vocal passages become more apparent, the effectively gritty lows and insane highs work perfectly. The track wastes no time in becoming a relentless force of brutality.

“The Offering” is a special one - much inclined towards the modern progressive domain. With the addition of infectious djenty rhythms, the band knows not to abandon their tech roots too far. What becomes, is a fresh and feisty energy wrapped around a metalcore decadence. Joshua Mathis shows his incredible drum chops on this one. Not to miss the slow section with jazzy drumming while the guitar leads continue on top. Completing the “Sacrificial” trilogy, the piano melody (just like the intro) closes the outro in an ouroboric circle.

As a record which I picked up randomly solely based on the eye-catching artwork, Aenimus turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Coming from the Nuclear Blast records, it's difficult to dismiss it as bad but “Sacrificial” offers too good of songwriting quality. While “The Offering” might feel a bit disjointed to my extreme ears, the musicianship of each member cannot be discredited either. It's a great deathcore record with atmospheric progressive touch, that in no way feels forced, and comes out as genuinely enjoyable and memorable. 

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Website: https://www.facebook.com/Aenimus

Genre: Progressive Deathcore

Worldwide Release: May 6, 2022.