Anacrusis was formed in the late '80s in their home state of St. Louis. They were one of the more diverse metal bands of the '90s, and employed sophisticated harmonies and melodies but retained an aggressive thrash metal edge.
Anacrusis was formed in
the late '80s in their home state of St. Louis. They were one of the more diverse
metal bands of the '90s, and employed sophisticated harmonies and melodies but
retained an aggressive thrash metal edge.
Anacrusis - Suffering Hour (Axis) 1988
1. "Present Tense" (6:23)
2. "Imprisoned" (6:11)
3. "R.O.T. (Reign Of Terror)" (4:52)
4. "Butcher's Block" (6:07)
5. "A World To Gain" (4:04)
6. "Frigid Bitch" (4:03)
7. "Fighting Evil" (3:27)
8. "The Twisted Cross" (7:21)
9. "Annihilation Complete (Disemboweled)" (4:42)
"Suffering Hour" is one of those CDs that has been on my want list for years. This one I've actually had on for almost a decade now. For a while the band was offering free MP3 downloads of the album, which was cool. However, being the collector that I am, I prefer an actual copy of the CD to a download. I've read that "Suffering Hour" has been released on CD by Metal Blade in 1990 (catalog number 7 72432-2). However, I have never been able to find a copy. My copy is the Axis Records bootleg. This bootleg has the lyrics printed in the wrong order, and has a tracklisting error: "Twisted Cross" is actually broken up into two separate tracks (tracks 8 and 9) and "Annihilation Complete (Disemboweled)" is track 10. Bringing the disc into iTunes, it labels track 10 as "Disembowled", which of course is incorrect. However, despite the error, it's not really that big of a deal. This CD really needs remastering and a proper CD re-issue. Until that time I guess the bootleg will have to suffice.
The music contained on this disc is raw, abrasive thrash metal. In my opinion, some of the best thrash metal albums have always had a balance between fast, speedy riffs, and more mid-paced grooves. That is exactly what Anacrusis deliver on this CD. Some parts are just balls-to-the-wall speed, while others are more melodic in nature. If I had to compare the music here to someone, I'd say they have a unique sound that has some similarities to bands like Coroner or early Voivod. The song writing is technical and progressive, but not nearly as progressive and experimental as this band would get with their last two albums. The vocals are gruff at time, reminding me of some of the early Death albums, but there are these high pitched yells mixed throughout as well. Unfortunately the recording quality isn't that great. As I said above, this album needs proper mastering and a CD reissue.
Anacrusis - Reason (Restless/Metal Blade) 1990
1. "Stop
Me" (6:16)
2. "Terrified" (4:54)
3. "Not Forgotten" (5:49)
4. "Wrong" (5:38)
5. "Silent Crime" (4:49)
6. "Misshappen Intent" (4:23)
7. "Affraid to Feel" (6:25)
8. "Child Inside" (4:25)
9. "Vital" (5:07)
10. "Quick to Doubt" (4:37)
11. "Killing My Mind" (5:48)
12. "Injustice" (5:36)
This cd reminds me of Voivod! Aggressive, technical and progressive but retains a very heavy edge. Don't know much about these guys but this is a cool cd. Terrible album cover though. Bought this after reading a review of one of their other albums. Paid $8.99, a bit steep for a used cd with a hole in the cover and a water stain, but I guess it is out of print. (Big deal!)
Anacrusis-Manic Impressions (Metal Blade) 1991
1. "Paint
a Picture" (5:58)
2. "I Love the World" (4:49)
3. "Something Real" (5:59)
4. "Dream Again" (3:20)
5. "Explained Away" (6:01)
6. "Still Black" (6:08)
7. "What You Became" (5:10)
8. "Our Reunion" (4:53)
9. "Idle Hours" (4:36)
10. "Far Too Long" (5:50)
Progressive metal meets thrash once again, only a bit more mature, technical, and better produced than "Reason." Vocalist Kenn Nardi's has a unique ability to leap between growling and heavenly melodies. Reminds me of a mixture of Voivod and Believer.
Anacrusis - Screams and Whispers (Metal Blade) 1993
1."Sound the Alarm"
(5:39)
2."Sense of Will" (4:52)
3."Too Many Prophets" (5:27)
4."Release" (4:19)
5."Division" (4:38)
6."Tools of Separation" (6:10)
7."Grateful" (5:13)
8."A Screaming Breath" (4:19)
9."My Soul's Affliction" (4:30)
10."Driven" (5:51)
11."Brotherhood?" (6:51)
12."Release"-remix (4:16)
EXCELLENT!!! Some of the best technical, experimental, progressive thrash ever!