EP REVIEW: Abyss Pt I – Annisokay
Even though ANNISOKAY formed back in 2007, they only had their breakthrough fairly recently in 2021 with their fifth full-length album Aurora, the first to feature their new frontman and unclean vocalist Rudi Schwarzer who joined the band in 2019. The German post-hardcore/metalcore quartet have gone back to basics in recent years, with the reveal of their new EP Abyss Pt I allowing them to experiment with their sound once again.
This latest EP diverts the band in a slightly new direction musically, promising fans old and new plenty of aggressive yet impactful vocal lines, goosebump-inducing cleans as well as riffs galore. The opener is Into The Abyss, providing the listener with initial goosebumps due to the haunting melody throughout. Halfway through, a heavy guitar riff leads the way accompanied by the outstanding vocals of clean vocalist Christoph Wieczorek – a perfect introduction for what’s to come.
Human is up next, and from the first second it has the listener headbanging along to the catchy metalcore melody. Even though the song is definitely not bad, the chorus doesn’t stick in our heads as much as we expected – a slight disappointment. Ultraviolet adds a slight synth-inspired sound to proceedings, which is welcomed with open arms. The rap style vocals from Rudi Schwarzer in the pre-chorus are certainly unexpected, giving the song even more edge.
Throne Of The Sunset is another hard-hitter, with the unclean vocal lines becoming more and more memorable by the second. This is one of the first tracks to have an instantly infectious chorus, which is a relief at this point. Additionally, the metalcore style breakdown near the end of the track is just too good to resist. This may be a bold claim to make, but Calamity is one of the best metalcore songs of the year. It is a special rendition of German pop singer LEONY‘s chart-topping track Remedy and it’s just so infectious from the get go and will be sure to get stuck in your head from the very first listen.
The finale comes in the form of Time, which is well worth the wait. This track finishes the EP off in the best way possible, with another catchy chorus filled with energy. It also has a great message, encouraging the listener to not be fooled by their inner demons and to just be themselves.
From listening to this EP in full, it is evidently clear that ANNISOKAY have been in this industry for quite some time. This band have such a polished yet impactful musical style which is hard to ignore. Abyss Pt I is a prime example of this, providing listeners old and new with a classic metalcore sound, while incorporating fantastic post-hardcore elements, synthesizers and breathtaking guitar breakdowns which ultimately help them to stand out from the crowd.
Rating: 8/10
Abyss Pt I is out now via Arising Empire.
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