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Another Now: Glitching Through Complexity

Subscribers to Simulation Theory believe the life we lead is nothing but a simulation. Every subconsciousness uploaded to a version The Grid from Tron. If that theory holds water, our minds are pieces of software. What happens when a virus attacks The Grid? Are these glitches in the matrix an explanation for mental health issues? Dutch metalcore outfit ANOTHER NOW use their debut album, OMNI, as a conduit to tackle the stigma surrounding these anomalies.

Combining digital soundscapes with relentless riffs, they create a truly unsettling deep dive. “It’s an all encompassing term,” bassist Rik Bosmans chimes in when we ask about the album title, “Every style, theme, problem, direction.”

It’s hard to shake Black Mirror’s abstract influence. More so when considering the album cover. The depiction of someone using a VR headset to transport to a reality different, albeit more brutal, than their own is surreal. Google the band and Another Now: Dispatches From An Alternate Planet appears. Vocalist Stef Rikkan divulges Yanis Varoufakis‘s book is about economic philosophies under the ideology of an equal society. While this synopsis encapsulates the band, Rik tells us they were inspired by WHILE SHE SLEEPS In Another Now as it too tried to envision a better world.

OMNI was more than an examination on approaches to mental health for Stef. Working with some of the world’s most vulnerable people, he found himself needing to process what he’d seen. “My work isn’t just work bound,” he comments, “I take and see it everywhere I go.” Combining a web of complex emotions with the entanglement of a pandemic, OMNI became group therapy. The album hands the band’s platform to those who’s voice is still not considered equal. “It’s important to shed some light on these issues,” Rik states, elated to have taken on OMNI‘s gravity.

The opening song, Parallax, tells the story of an autistic protagonist trying to fit in with the world around them. Stef’s lyricism cuts to the core as he screams “I’m sick of my code disconnecting me.” Pulling from his experiences, Stef tells us how a client of his compared themselves to a computer always needing to reboot. “It’s easy to compare a software problem to a problem in your head; your software is malfunctioning,” Rik quips.

Similar to digital malfunction, the analogy pools into Cascade. A model of a psychotic break, the constant change in frequencies between Stef and guest vocalist Xavier Kleuters (younger brother of the band’s guitarist, Miquell, and drummer, Guyon) holds the listener on the brink. Currently working with people who are in treatment for psychotic disorders, Stef reflects on gaps in society’s knowledge; “it’s hard for us to understand because we don’t experience it ourselves.” With that in mind, the only caveat the band had lyrically was the need for symbolism. While that may have stunted some, it made sense to Stef; “it needs to be multi interpretable so everyone can listen and relate to the song.”

Whether it be the combination of house beats with tech death guitars, or living with psychological problems, ANOTHER NOW thrives on duality. OMNI displays a band treading metalcore’s fine line between too digital and too analogue. “We tried to have everything sit in the mix and have the same impact. At the same time it shouldn’t because it sounds different so the puzzle excited me,” Rik beams having produced the record himself.

Regarding OMNI as a collective, one song isn’t like the others. Trojan hits like its wrecking ball virus’ namesake. With brash boast rap delivery to the tune of disjointed breakdowns, this is one malfunction we welcome. “Trojan lyrically gives the finger to our negative emotions. It’s still about mental health but from a different perspective,” Rik confesses. The bassist-cum-producer then tells us Trojan was written in just four hours after a frustrating three day period trying to find OMNI’s missing puzzle piece.

While OMNI‘s four collaborations represent the idea no man is an island, there was another reason. “We wanted to create a Dutch album with Dutch collaborations,” Stef explains. In addition to Xavier’s spot on Cascade; long time friend Sem Pisarahu [THE ROYAL] appears on Decisions, credited influence Alan Grnja [DISTANT] lends his voice to Program, and Guyon’s room mate Julia Rose is found on We Died At Least A Thousand Times. “Every collaboration contributed something that made the song better in ways we never expected,” Rik muses.

OMNI’s intense look into mental health often feels like doom scrolling. Confronted with the darkness people live with in plain sight leaves us unsettled. Now the core has reached critical mass, how do we ensure this alternate now doesn’t remain a projection? “Fight the stigma around these issues,” Stef answers with zero thought. “Carry on the conversation with those who have these issues but also those with misconceptions.” Humanity’s mainframe continues to boggle the mind. Yet, with ANOTHER NOW’s assistance, we can at least begin to understand these lesser known intricacies.

OMNI is out now via self-release. 

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