So many pros, so many cons with Anfinnsaas' self-titled, all-instrumental debut release. Let's start with the one characteristic every listener will agree on: the recording quality. I've heard better fidelity on student cassette recordings of college class notes. Add the drummer's wandering internal metronome, and you have what equates to a promising demo tape. A very promising demo tape.

This is the \m/ equivalent of Sam Raimi's first Evil Dead film. There's clearly no production budget, but the musical forces involved are visibly possessed (ha!) of passion, talent, and vision. Let's hope Anfinnsaas are given funds and encouragement at least on par with Raimi to advance and develop that creativity.

Direct or indirect influences of Sepultura (primal riffage), Animals As Leaders (rhythms, timings, and neo-prog instrumentalism), Voivod (guitars as agents of noise), Explosions in the Sky (patient, board-scoped instrumentals), and Tool (alternate time signatures) are evident. They've also stated that their sound is rooted in traditional Nordic folk music. Where the drummer shares a young Lars' Ulrich's poor timekeeping, he also shows potential for young Lars' genius for fills.

The first 5 tracks are each distinctive pieces, but all with a very similar feel. Anfinnsaas score points for switching up on the closing track, ‘Spissrot’, with it's spacey, mellow repetition bordering on ambient.

"Interesting" can be a damning comment, but I mean it as a compliment here. There are plenty of rewards throughout for invested listener - - as long as they have a tolerance for sub-par sound quality. Everyone and anyone else, i.e., those with primarily mainstream tastes and casual interest in music, should probably stay away.