Anaal Nathrakh

Formed in 1999 expressly to furnish the musical backdrop for Armageddon, Anaal Nathrakh unites two English musicians: V.I.T.R.I.O.L., otherwise known as Dave Hunt who handles vocals for both Benediction and Mistress, alongside Irrumator, the multi-instrumentalist Mick Kenney whose résumé includes Aborym, Frost, and Mistress while he also runs Necrodeath Studios. Drawing foundational inspiration from Norwegian black metal forces such as Mayhem, Burzum, and Darkthrone, the pair tracked two demos ahead of unleashing their debut full-length, The Codex Necro, in 2001. Largely favorable critical response confirmed that the delay had been justified, and the projects that followed—When Fire Rains Down from the Sky, Mankind Will Reap as It Has Sown (the 2003 EP), Domine Non Es Dignus (2004), Eschaton (2006), Passion (2011), Desideratum (2014), A New Kind of Horror (2018), and Endarkenment (2020)—have steadily propelled Anaal Nathrakh toward increasingly technical and varied yet consistently ferocious and nihilistic expressions of the genre without ever falling short.