▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███
░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓
███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░
███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████
███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███
███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███
███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███
▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███
███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███
██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███
░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███
░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀
██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██
░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░
▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓
░ ██ ██ Artist: Anagram to Anna ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: God, Me & Monsters █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2013 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2015-01-31 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Visceral Laments ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ The underground truly is full of curiosities, and █
█ the Ukrainian duo Anagram to Anna is one of them. █
█ With their debut God, Me & Monsters, released on █
█ Visceral Laments (a subsidiary of Endless Winter), █
█ they appeared out of nowhere with the apparent █
█ goal of shattering expectations and stereotypes █
█ and giving us all a headache, provided that we do █
█ not dismiss their work prematurely. █
█ The curiosity already starts with their name: it █
█ sounds weird enough as it is, but once you learn █
█ that Anna is actually the name of one of the two █
█ members, it assumes an almost schizophrenic █
█ quality, especially since it is her who writes the █
█ lyrics. Why would Anna (keyboards, flute, vocals, █
█ programming) write anagrams to herself, and is █
█ Anna even correct, then? With all the talk about █
█ anagrams, perhaps sheÆs actually called Anna (or █
█ even annA?), not that it would make much of a █
█ difference. The next thing that strikes you is the █
█ cover. Against a striped purple background calling █
█ to mind the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks, it shows █
█ two rough, childlike sketches of matchstick █
█ figures: a human figure in threatening posture and █
█ the tiny caricature of a dog looking up at it. █
█ Twisted drawings in the same style can be found █
█ inside the booklet, and then there is the band █
█ picture which may well be one of the strangest in █
█ the history of Metal: the photographed faces of █
█ Anna and the second member, Alexandr (guitars, █
█ bass, programming), are printed on top of two █
█ matchstick figures with the dog from the cover █
█ (here with a real æfaceÆ, too) sitting at AnnaÆs █
█ side. (For all we know, this may well be the same █
█ dog whose vocal contribution can be heard in the █
█ barking sample introducing ôDogs Soul Carnivalöà) █
█ All of this seems ostensibly dilettante and █
█ certainly not Doom, so you half-expect the worst █
█ when pressing the play button. █
█ It was interesting to observe how, when I first █
█ listened to the album more closely, my expectation █
█ of amateurism suggested to me that there was an █
█ actual lack of maturity and vision. But when I █
█ tried to ignore all the peripheral details █
█ outlined above and gave it another chance, it █
█ suddenly presented itself as a quality release. █
█ Stylistically, Anagram to Anna are definitely not █
█ one of those bands you would play to your friends █
█ in an attempt to demonstrate what Doom is all █
█ about. They are among the relatively few bands out █
█ there which could qualify as æSymphonic DoomÆ, █
█ though their label describes them as æSymphonic █
█ MetalÆ, which is misleading since the music on █
█ this album is very different from what is usually █
█ marketed under that genre tag. All of the █
█ compositions are moderately slow, and the █
█ intentional absence of dynamic changes and marked █
█ climaxes is something you hardly find outside of █
█ Doom. The same is true for the surprisingly bleak █
█ atmosphere pervading the songs. █
█ Classical string arrangements figure quite █
█ prominently, and most of the time you hardly █
█ notice that they are synthetic. Fortunately, a █
█ session drummer has been used for this recording, █
█ preventing the music from taking on too much of a █
█ æmechanicalÆ feel. The gloomy guitar riffs █
█ alternate between power chords and dual harmonies █
█ and seem to be influenced by British Death Doom. █
█ They are often understated, but never drown in the █
█ strings. AnnaÆs flute sometimes takes the lead, █
█ thus constituting more than just an ornament, but █
█ her voice (combined with her idiosyncratic lyrics) █
█ is perhaps what moulds the projectÆs identity █
█ most: it is less dominant than the more typical █
█ Symphonic Metal voices of singers such as Tarja █
█ Turunen, and keeps oscillating between classical █
█ and æpopÆ techniques with a slightly stronger █
█ focus on the latter, but without ever fully █
█ manifesting either of the two extremes. The most █
█ striking thing about the vocals is that they avoid █
█ the epic, over-dramatised tendencies typical of █
█ most soprano singers in Metal, instead conveying █
█ ponderous and resigned unhappiness. █
█ From my above descriptions, God, Me & Monsters █
█ must seem like a lighter, less doom-laden version █
█ of Omit with some nods in the direction of █
█ Avrigus, and you may be expecting a dreamy piece █
█ of Atmospheric Doom. But the fact is, everything █
█ about this record seems slightly æoffÆ. Apart from █
█ its outward presentation outlined above, the most █
█ obvious indication of this is, again, the vocal █
█ performance which consistently remains a tad out █
█ of tune and sometimes wanders off into less █
█ conventional territory, not even trying to sound █
█ beautiful in any traditional sense. And as the █
█ melodic arrangements progress and seem to lull you █
█ into a safe cocoon of melancholic bliss, a vague █
█ sense of menace creeps in from somewhere just █
█ beyond your reach. This eerie presence can no █
█ longer be denied throughout the last two tracks █
█ when the bleakness increases and some strange █
█ squealing vocals appear in the background. The █
█ music evokes images of someone cowering in a dark █
█ corner, rocking back and forth in contemplation of █
█ some horrific, traumatic experience, always █
█ dangerously close to a total psychotic breakdown. █
█ Imminent insanity seems to be hovering above the █
█ songs like the Sword of Damocles, coming ever █
█ closer as the album progresses. Only after █
█ repeated listens, this impression can somehow be █
█ integrated into the general artistic concept with █
█ AnnaÆs lyrics and drawings, and you end up █
█ wondering about the mental state of whoever this █
█ Anna and her companion Alexandr may be. Just how █
█ exactly the dog fits into all of this is yet █
█ another mystery to be solvedà █
█ This aspect of insanity is what makes God, Me & █
█ Monsters a unique piece of art. It defies clear █
█ categorisation and rejects the stereotypes of Doom █
█ and Metal in general, and it does so with an ease █
█ that seems to stem more from a genuine detachment █
█ from reality than any kind of intended █
█ meta-message. Needless to say that this album will █
█ not be to everyoneÆs liking, nor will everyone █
█ acknowledge that it is Doom to begin with, but █
█ with Endless Winter selling it for such a low █
█ price that it couldnÆt possibly cover their █
█ expenses, there is little risk in giving it a try. █
█ At the very least, it should prove an interesting █
█ discovery for those on the lookout for underground █
█ curiosities. Just be sure to keep your dog leashed █
█ when the monsters appear. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Obscure Me 7:56 ░
░ 2. Inside Our Graves, The Silent Whisper 7:20 ░
░ 3. The Perverted Consciousness 8:18 ░
░ 4. Dogs Soul Carnival 6:49 ░
░ 5. He Thought He Was God 7:55 ░
░ 6. Light That Deceived Me 8:04 ░
░ 7. Finally They Come 10:16 ░
░ 56:38 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
■ █▄ ░ ██
▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░
▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓
▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■
░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░
▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░
█▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓
█▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█
▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒
░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░
▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓
█▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓
░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒
█░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█
███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░
▓██ ░ ██▓
██░ ░██
█▒ ░ ░█
▀█ █▀
▓ ░
░