Anemera is the brainchild of Andrew Howington, a Florida based multi-instrumentalist. Andrew plays every single instrument on this debut EP. For the vocals he found the voice of Berlin based Matthias Schilling.
I was randomly listening to sound snippets on Bandcamp, when I came across the opening track from this EP: ‘From the Bottom’. From the first notes I heard the impeccable production quality, so far so good. Sifting through Bandcamp often goes hand in hand with dissapointment after dissapointment. But not this time. Once the vocals came in, Anemera really grabbed my attention. The slow galloping riffs that tie the track together remind me of something Gojira would write, while the overall atmosphere has a distinct Katatonia vibe. As the song climaxes with a perfect blend of riffs, blastbeats and symphonic elements I get goosebumps. Yes, this is the EP I want to spend my evening with.
‘Shorelines’ features the same mood Anemera set up with the first track. When the chorus comes in, Matthias Schilling takes his voice a nodge higher. It has a bit more punch and hook to it. I have to say, I was expecting the sound to develop a bit darker. But diverging from expectations is probably the smart move here, this track sure offered something different immediately and kept me interested all the way through. It features plenty of surprises, from the tempo-changes to the symphonic touches and dramatic vocal performance. I'm definitely still on board with what Anemera is offering here.
When ‘Velleity’ comes in with the darker mood, I get a huge grin on my face. Atmospheric elements introduce us to the harsh vocals of Matthias. My god, this guy has a vocal range. I love his deep growls on this track. Just over halfway, the cadence pushes the track forward like a train. Once again I didn't expect this track and they manage to surprise me. I was ready to get on this progressive death metal ride that would take me through many twists and turns...unfortunately, the track is over before I know it.
We go into the closing track with ethereal sounds and a soothing voice. ‘Sleepless’ is one hell of an atmospheric track. Maybe I think the chorus drags a little bit here, but that's nothing the amazing instrumentation doesn't make up for. After the song fades out with crystal clear piano touches, everything just feels right. The compositions are intricate and perfectly crafted. This EP is heavy where it needs to be heavy and atmospheric where you want it to be atmospheric. It's a very short offering these two have given us, but a very promising one nonetheless. Andrew clearly shows he knows what he's doing and Matthias' voice was the perfect fit for this project. For once, I'm glad I found myself bored and looking through new Bandcamp releases.
Before I give this one another spin, all that's left to wonder is really: "Where the fuck did these guys come from?".
I was randomly listening to sound snippets on Bandcamp, when I came across the opening track from this EP: ‘From the Bottom’. From the first notes I heard the impeccable production quality, so far so good. Sifting through Bandcamp often goes hand in hand with dissapointment after dissapointment. But not this time. Once the vocals came in, Anemera really grabbed my attention. The slow galloping riffs that tie the track together remind me of something Gojira would write, while the overall atmosphere has a distinct Katatonia vibe. As the song climaxes with a perfect blend of riffs, blastbeats and symphonic elements I get goosebumps. Yes, this is the EP I want to spend my evening with.
‘Shorelines’ features the same mood Anemera set up with the first track. When the chorus comes in, Matthias Schilling takes his voice a nodge higher. It has a bit more punch and hook to it. I have to say, I was expecting the sound to develop a bit darker. But diverging from expectations is probably the smart move here, this track sure offered something different immediately and kept me interested all the way through. It features plenty of surprises, from the tempo-changes to the symphonic touches and dramatic vocal performance. I'm definitely still on board with what Anemera is offering here.
When ‘Velleity’ comes in with the darker mood, I get a huge grin on my face. Atmospheric elements introduce us to the harsh vocals of Matthias. My god, this guy has a vocal range. I love his deep growls on this track. Just over halfway, the cadence pushes the track forward like a train. Once again I didn't expect this track and they manage to surprise me. I was ready to get on this progressive death metal ride that would take me through many twists and turns...unfortunately, the track is over before I know it.
We go into the closing track with ethereal sounds and a soothing voice. ‘Sleepless’ is one hell of an atmospheric track. Maybe I think the chorus drags a little bit here, but that's nothing the amazing instrumentation doesn't make up for. After the song fades out with crystal clear piano touches, everything just feels right. The compositions are intricate and perfectly crafted. This EP is heavy where it needs to be heavy and atmospheric where you want it to be atmospheric. It's a very short offering these two have given us, but a very promising one nonetheless. Andrew clearly shows he knows what he's doing and Matthias' voice was the perfect fit for this project. For once, I'm glad I found myself bored and looking through new Bandcamp releases.
Before I give this one another spin, all that's left to wonder is really: "Where the fuck did these guys come from?".