Well, I was under the impression that Arkhum was a blackened death metal band that used a lot of snazzy technicality and complex techniques to give their music an 'extraterrestrial' edge. While all of this is true, I was quickly kicked in the pants with a prominent deathcore-feel above the band's other characteristics. Deathcore is not my music of choice, yet it's important to mention I gave "Anno Universum" a chance anyway, and I must say it at least attempts molding these various postulates into a brutal, punching extermination in which aliens from this galaxy and beyond will consider the grotesque portrait with pondering gestures; that's really all the credit I can give the record, however. Arkhum's gimmick is too droll and excessive to really make a lasting impact, even though most deathcore bands could learn a thing or two from the abstract willingness of "Anno Universum."I suppose the only thing that keeps this sucker above water is the unforgiving complexity of it all. Arkhum typically moves away from the generic riffs and structures that plague their music through sudden sweep-picking, dazzling guitar leads, and cool melodies that shine past most of the group's calamities; nothing spectacular, but at least they're defying the norm. A sizable amount of riffs they use sound like something stripped out of a Malevolent Creation CD if the legends had a little touch of blackened spice from Mayhem or Emperor alongside their blazing speed, which certainly gives "Anno Universum" a hint of consistency alongside the bizarre techniques often applied throughout this interplanetary effort. Overall, the deathcore paradigm at least goes under a solid conversion despite it still being Arkhum's priority, and doing so reveals some pretty neat ideas worth more than just a single listen.
However, I think most of the album is simply too scorned by its own genetics to become more than just another deathcore CD. The record's bad qualities are unloaded on the listener like a clown car crammed with Bozo knockoffs cashing in on half-priced pies at a bakery the size of a cubicle, and the woes never stop coming: insipid breakdowns, jejune riffs, mid-paced flops, lifeless percussion, directionless structures, songs that run out of ideas and just keep going anyway
it pours like spring rain. I'm particularly disgusted with the vocals above everything else; there's usually a low, guttural bellow that frequently turns into an awkward shriek, which doesn't sit right with me, but sometimes both approaches overlap during breakdowns or mid-paced pauses , and I'm sure I'd rather grind my headphones down the garbage disposal than hear something so ghastly. Needless to say, vocals are not Arkhum's strongpoint.
I think I'm being generous by saying Arkhum is at least doing something right with the obscure technicality and instrumental boldness that drives their music, but at the same time, the deathcore perimeter is an inexcusable letdown that eats the guts of "Anno Universum" from the inside-out. Overall, the band's potential is there, but it isn't enough to excel the group beyond the mediocre sophistication that comes with slamming breakdowns and generic fundamentals. Arkhum would be very noteworthy if the weird sweeping and technical aspects of their music were placed at the forefront of their attack, but sadly, "Anno Universum" isn't as otherworldly as it appears to be.