“Somnambulant” is the song on this album that captures most what I feel Anopheli was trying to convey, musically, on this album. A lone bass plucks away a somber melody that wants nothing to do with the light of day. An accompanying drum rhythm kicks in with some cello harmony following suit; this introduction of sorts plays for just a few bars while there’s a slight build up in intensity. Around the 1:20 mark it shifts tone and becomes a little more abrasive, a little less somber, and a little more scathing. Twenty seconds later, the d-beat kicks in and the vocals follow suit. Once this happens, it’s full speed ahead for four minutes before the song is reduced to some quiet guitar, melancholy cello, sparse, bellowed vocals with an occasional kick drum to help emphasize the emotion….the want of the ache. It’s a meditation on late 90’s crust mixed with some Magic Bullet-esque powerviolence/emoviolence; equal parts City of Caterpillar, His Hero is Gone, Circle Takes the Square, and Nausea with a cello that is a little more prevalent than their previous release, A Hunger Rarely Sated.

With this second album, there’s a little more darkened atmosphere throughout that slightly ups the ante a little bit. The production is a little more thick, a little heavy on the bass aspect of the sound but in a clearer sort of way. The songs feel a little more organic; a little less drenched in distortion but still retaining a depth that helps create a moodier release all around.

Alex (Carnist, Morrow, Archivist, ex-Light Bearer, ex-Momentum, ex-Fall of Efrafa, ex-Eleleth) is the main vocalist in the band and his voice is a voice that is considerably recognizable. Equal parts dissonant and snarling, it carries with it a lower midrange tone that is so complimentary to this style of music. With that being said, there are numerous other vocals that run in tandem with his delivery that give off the Circle Takes the Square/Nausea (borderline) vibe. From what I have gathered in my research, there were two female guest vocals and the drummer lends vocals also. There’s some vicious (slightly) higher vocals that absolutely slay when accompanying Alex’s and then there’s an almost death metal growl that again, is just on point when the vocals run concurrent.

Musically, the band is considerably steeped in the realm of d-beat with the occasional flourishes of powerviolence/emoviolence. With just 6 tracks on this album (and one being wholly intstrumental), it is hard to pick out standout tracks. They really don’t differentiate from each other too much but that’s not what Anopheli is about. There’s a story here that  is told from two points of view. The Sentinal and The Recipient; one seems to be an outside witness to man’s unforgiving nature of destruction and the other seems to be man, wholly unforgiving. I will have to dissect a lot more than I just have to fully grasp what is being conveyed (I got this album off of Bandcamp and discovered the lyrics (completely accidentally) when I was trying to find time info on one of the songs. With that being said, the music is what it is but the story would fall somewhat flat without it, in my opinion. There is an emotion that is conveyed through the music that couldn’t be attained through other styles. Man’s shittiness needs to feel filthy.

The words and acts through which we exist need to have a somberness about them because man, time and time again, festers in selfishness and self importance. If I read the lyrics in just their written form, with no music to base my judgement, I wouldn’t be able to grasp the emotional heights as to which they need to be perceived. Luckily, Anopheli has captured the sonic equivalent of man’s plague on this planet so perfect; a disease of ego driven humanity and tunnel vision needs by way of abrasive crust, tirelessly hopefully strings, and the screams of those who want nothing more than to fight back against the unfortunate norm.

“You cannot possibly know the dark that resides in man. I promise you, I can appoint blame with accuracy”

[Visit the band's website]

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