Tech death that isn't a Necrophagist clone? Great Scott! Anata is a Swedish death metal band that forsakes the typical faux-Middle Eastern and neoclassical noodling of its contemporaries in favor of actual riffs. It's hard to use the word "beautiful" to describe death metal, but the guitarists make it possible by crafting intricate interlocking melodies that put Gothenburg to shame.

Another distinguishing feature is the pacing of the songs. Rather than damning the torpedoes and charging full speed ahead (or taking a break halfway for a cup of extremely moody and introspective tea), Anata keeps a fairly steady groove throughout. The vocalist never sounds like he's rapping (a death metal pet peeve of mine), and the blastbeats, while still present, do not dominate the album. A very well rounded tech death offering with melody and style.