Anfauglir – Akallabêth

Written by on 28-06-2025 at 17:34.

A posthumous book is a book that is published after the author has died. This happened to J.R.R. Tolkien (a fun question for a pub quiz: do you know what those initials stand for?), who many will know as the author of The Hobbit and the trilogy The Lord of the Rings. In his will, Tolkien had appointed his son Christopher as administrator. He came across a lot of unpublished material that his father had written many decades ago, even before he had started writing The Lord of the Rings, and published it posthumously under the name J.R.R. Tolkien. Four years after his death, The Silmarillion was published, three years later followed by Unfinished Tales. The first book is a collection of mythological stories about Middle-earth and covers three periods (so-called eras). One of these stories is the Akallabêth. It tells the story of the foundation and fall of Númenor; a kingdom on an island from J.R.R. Tolkien’s books about the fictional history of the world (Arda).

Can you still follow the literary mini-college? Why this digression? Because it immediately makes clear where the duo of Anfauglir from Newton (Connecticut, United States) gets their inspiration from. That Tolkien is a source of ideas and creative inventions for them should come as no surprise, if you know the title of their debut (from 2008!): Hymns over Anfauglith. This title refers to the fictional, vast, green plain from The Silmarillion that after the Battle of the Sudden Flame (for the connoisseurs: Dagor Bragollach) degenerated into a bleak and dead area. Since then it has borne the name Anfauglith.

When a band is so closely linked to the content of the work of one of the most famous fantasy writers ever, this must have an impact on the music so that all kinds of influences can be heard? Well, that’s true in the case of Anfauglir. This second album Akallabêth – which sees the light of day no less than seventeen years after the debut – contains ‘only’ four songs. With a playing time of just over seventy minutes, it goes without saying that we are dealing with lush, epic, musical extravagance. A work that stands out in terms of size and grandeur. Yes, actually exactly like the work of Tolkien.

Band members Griss and Lord Bauglir – no, those are not actual names, but they are based on Sindarin; a made-up language by… well, we all know by now – use symphonic black metal as a basis for their music. The band deviates from the more common path by writing and arranging their compositions in the style of a traditional, classical symphony. The more common structures of compositions are thus avoided. On Akallabêth you are immersed in fast tempos, vicious tremolo guitars, dogged blast beats and a raw scream. Then a thick, thick layer of very cinematic influences is added. This is not only a huge mass of lush, raging orchestration, but there are also extended sections accompanied by a fragile piano, pompous, majestic choirs and narrative, instrumental passages that let you dream away to endless plains and inhospitable mountains in a legendary mystical world. There is a constant search for a captivating contrast between dogged heaviness and bombastic melodies.

Due to the length of the songs – closing track The Downfall is the shortest at twelve minutes – Akallabêth can prove to be quite a sit. The narrative way in which the extensive compositions are put together will prove to be an enormously rich epic for some, while others may have a much harder time dealing with the great length of the songs. However, the detailed coloring manages to keep it exciting and attractive. It seems that the duo has left nothing to chance: the songs have been worked out down to the finest details. For example, part of the lyrics are in Quenya; a language invented by Tolkien that is spoken by the elves in Middle Earth. The fact that the band takes this very seriously is evident from the fact that they have consulted a specialist in Quenya (yes, they exist) about it. Also several characters from the story are introduced: Manwë (in The Rise of Númenor), Sauron (yes, he who lost his jewel in The Lord of the Rings and urgently went looking for it.) and Ar-Pharazon (both in Defying the Doom of Men). “With Akallabêth we go beyond a simple historical recounting of Tolkien’s tales. We explore the characters, speak their language and muse on the existential questions faced. There’s a depth here that can be missed if you don’t peel back the layers.”, says the band.

Are you a fan of Tolkien’s books? What are you waiting for? This is nothing more than a must-have and can only lead to an immediate purchase. And for lovers of symphonic black? This is a narrative, abundant album that is best enjoyed by listening attentively with headphones on … eyes closed and dreaming away. Akallabêth may not leave a very heavy impression in general and will probably remind you of a film soundtrack. It will probably appeal to a somewhat limited crowd, but that does not alter the fact that Anfauglir shows on Akallabêth that symphonic black can be impressive and wonderfully beautiful.

Score:

88/100

Label:

Debemur Morti Productions, 2025

Tracklisting:

  1. The Rise of Númenor
  2. The Inevitable Truths of Time
  3. Defying the Doom of Men
  4. The Downfall

Line-up:

  • Griss – Vocals, guitar, bass guitar
  • Lord Bauglir – Guitar

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