Norway’s Ansur are signed to Samoth’s (Emperor, Zyklon) Nocturnal Art Productions, which has the unfortunate distinction of being acronymed NAP, and Axiom is the death/black metallers' debut for said label. Relatively new to the scene, Ansur demonstrate their potential with this particular full-length, but not enough to genuinely impress, even though there are a few good ideas scattered among the filler.

Perhaps Axiom simply gets off on the wrong foot with generic opener “Earth Erasure.” Typical, BM instrumentation dominates the landscape, and the faulty production ensures that the bass drum will not be heard – as if trying to drown it out on purpose. The atmospheric keyboards are too upfront and over-the-top, while the scratchy distorted vocals blend in more than they should. Suffering from production issues again, the drums sound paper-thin during “Post-Apocalyptic Wastelands.” In fact, there is little to no power behind the hi-hat/cymbals, and the bass drum remains barely detectable for the record’s entire duration. There’s not much of note to be found in “Interloper,” either, though the song turns a new leaf when acoustic guitar enters at 2:50, showcasing a willingness to experiment that also manifests itself in “Desert Messiah” and 11-minute closer “The Axiom Depicted.” Still, the constant shifting in the above songs will try one’s patience. While the lead-happy “The Axiom Depicted” does feature solid lead work, the tune, like many of its peers, overstays its welcome.

If anything, Ansur haven’t realized their sound yet. For now, however, they’re an inconsistent, unbalanced band whose songs are dull, messy, semi-interesting, or any combination of the three. As it is, Axiom isn’t well organized, which lessens its value to a considerable degree – certainly enough to dismiss it without thinking twice.