ANNISOKAY
“ARMS”
Album Review by Lloyd Parkinson

8/10

Formed back in 2007 in Hall an der Saale, Germany, Annisokay established themselves as a well-respected Metalcore band within the European scene. In 2012, the band released their debut full length album “The Lucid Dream (er)” which was later re-released with the German record label SPV GmbH in 2014. The band then followed up with “Enigmatic Smile” in 2015 and then “Devil May Care” in 2016, both albums made it on the Top 100 music charts in Germany. Since then Annisokay have been fully dedicated to touring and have shared stages with the likes of Parkway Drive, Eskimo Callboy, Bury Your Dead and Deez Nuts. They have also played headline shows in Russia and Ukraine and have grown a well-respected following throughout Europe and the United Kingdom. Arms is the fourth studio album for German Metalcore quartet Annisokay which was released via their new record label, Arising Empire. The band commented on the signing: “We’re more than excited to announce that a new chapter for Annisokay has just begun. Arising Empire is our label of choice and we’re really happy that they’ve teamed up with us. There’s many great things coming up and we cannot wait to tell you all about them!”

With this album, they experiment with their Metalcore roots and incorporate a myriad a of different genres including electronic, classical whilst including ballad like vocals. This album proves that Annisokay have refined their sound and ultimately showcases sounds that the band haven’t included in their music on their previous releases. The band’s capability to include electronic elements together classical whilst retaining heavy bass lines and guttural vocal styles could have proved as a big risk to take for a band like Annisokay but it fits in seamlessly and shows that the band are evolving musically and creatively. The subject matter is also full on with the lyrics questioning socio-cultural and political topics together with culture of debt that continues to burden society.

The album opens with “Coma Blue” which immediately makes an impact through heavy bass tones, breakdowns and down tuned riffs. There’s also a great blend of vocal styles going from the typical growls that you would expect from this genre to melodic clean vocals during the chorus. The forth track “Fully Automatic” addresses the controversial topic of gun crime and school shootings. However, the shock value and sheer brutality of the subject matter isn’t obvious but more ingrained into the instrumentals on the track.

The following track “Sea of Trees” is the biggest stand out track on “Arms”. The track opens with an unusual “rock” riff that’s different to everything else on the album but the intense emotion can be felt with a balance between sheer anger and grief. As “Sea of Trees” plays on it becomes apparent that the subject matter surrounds the despair and bereavement after losing someone from a suicide. The mixture of great instrumentals and meaningful lyrics makes this track extremely touching. As this album goes on the use of keyboards intensifies and strongly reinforces the music. “Humanophobia” has an old school 80’s sound to it and the use of keys makes it sound like it wouldn’t be out of place on Stranger Things. Electronic sounds form the backbone of “Escalators” and “Good Stories”. However, these tracks prove to be some of the most aggressive on the album which proves that Annisokay can remain at their roots whilst injecting new sounds into their music.

Arms is a great addition to the bands catalogue and is a solid album from start to finish. They stay loyal to their influences and Hardcore roots but aren’t afraid to experiment with a myriad of other genres on this album. Blending Metalcore with classical, electronic and trap would always be considered as a risky move for a band like Annisokay but it really has shown that the band are going from strength and strength with each album they write. They are willing to take risks to keep their music contemporary and fresh and it has certainly paid off.

BAND LINE-UP

Dave Grunewald: Shouts
Christoph Wieczorek: Clean Vocals/Guitar
Norbert Kayo: Bass
Philipp Kretzschmar: Guitar
Nico Vaeen: Drums

TRACKLIST

1. Coma Blue
2. Unaware
3. Good Stories
4. Fully Automatic
5. Sea of Trees
6. Innocence Was Here
7. Humanophobia
8. End of The World
9. Escalators
10. Private Paradise
11. One Second
12. Locked Out, Locked In

annisokay.com
https://www.facebook.com/annisokay/

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