Wednesday, December 14: Anubis Gate, “Bloodoath”
Jacob Hansen tried to make a go of it as a musician with a few bands, and Anubis Gate was one of his last attempts at stardom before he mostly settled into a nice career as a producer. In that band he managed a couple albums as singer and guitarist, with “Bloodoath” appearing on 2009’s The Detached, and based on that Hansen had a nice if somewhat indistinct vocal range that serviced the material well. The Danish act had been at it for three albums by then, and Hansen was actually their second frontman, so they had a clear sense of identity, and the track reflected their approach to progressive metal by being dynamic and crunchy. It was thoughtfully conceived and worked while it was playing, and there was no faulting the band’s technique. It wasn’t enough for Anubis Gate to break through, and Hansen departed before their next album, but the fact that when he did return to action as a musician, it was with the similarly progressive Pyramaze, reflected his facility with this style.
