Australian band Anubis set the bar very high for themselves when they released their first two albums 230503 (2009, see review) and A Tower Of Silence (2011, see review). Both have powerful, dynamic and atmospheric tracks. Sometimes you hear strong influences of bands such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, King Crimson, Marillion and IQ. Both albums are of an incredibly high musical quality that is almost impossible to match or even surpass. Especially their second album. With every new release you ask yourself if this is even better than what they released at the beginning of their career. Of course, it is not fair to compare every new album with these albums. The band itself is going through a musical phase in which something new is tried every time. And of course, the question is whether their fans like this and go along with their musical journey. A band must make progress and not get stuck with the music they made in the beginning. They want to make progress and discover and develop new musical things. Like every band does of course. Anubis is no exception. So far all of their studio albums got the highest rating possible of five stars and were labelled as true masterpieces. Except for their latest Homeless (2020). Only because I never heard it because we never received a review copy. Hopefully one day it will be in my CD collection too. And now the band has released in the year they celebrate their 20th anniversary a brand new studio album. Of course the question comes to mind if The Unforgivable is another true masterpiece. Is this new album even better than what they released at the beginning of their career? To counter all the uncertainty, let's get straight to the point and let me tell you that The Unforgivable grabs you by the throat right from the first seconds you hear the first part A Legion of Angels until the final seconds of the last part The Unforgivable. There is just no escape possible. You have to let it wash over you all the way. Therefore, it is simple to say that Robert James Moulding (vocal, guitar, percussion), David Eaton (keyboards, soundscapes, 12 string, bass pedals, vocal), Douglas Skene (electric and acoustic guitars, vocal), Dean Bennison (electric and acoustic guitars, vocal), Anthony Stewart (bass, vocal) and Steven Eaton (drums, percussion, vocal) with guest vocalist Becky Bennison once again made a true masterpiece. Let me try to explain why! But first some information from the band about the album. With The Unforgivable the band returns to the format of the narrative concept album that characterized the earlier mentioned groundbreaking albums 230503 and A Tower Of Silence. David Eaton says: "During the Covid lockdowns, Rob and I were left to our own devices with about two hours of multi track jams. During this time we were busy reworking the first two Anubis records for remixes, watching way too many Netflix documentaries about weird religious cults and had all these great fragments of music that we tentatively put together into this long 45-minute piece. It just seemed logical that all these things would fit together - and when we got together after lockdown, we showed the band what we'd done and everyone was immediately sold on the idea." The album tells the story of a young man who falls for- and escapes - a religious cult in the Midwest of the USA, the Legion of Angels. A dark, atmospheric story told on two sides of vinyl - with an epic piece split into ten parts. Furthermore David says: "It reminds me of the album 230503 in particular. Lots of atmosphere and a very clear, linear story. But it manages to tell that story in almost half the time! Like every album we've made, it represents a step forward in our ability to make records and is more of a reaction to our last album, which was much more accessible. This album really takes time to unfold - but it's all the more rewarding for it." I will not be going into each song separately on The Unforgivable. But I can tell you that it comes as one track divided into ten parts on which again the highest level of the bands creativity and songwriting can be heard. With at least three guitarists in the band you would expect a rather heavy album moving musically towards metal or hard rock. But that's not the case at all. With this line up they managed to created an impressive wall of sound in which everything is possible music wise. It also has to be said that they are never falling into annoying solo excesses. Every solo is in the right place at the right time. Harmony is the intention throughout the entire album. Above all the musicians present themselves highly melodically throughout the entire playing time. It becomes clear that from start to finish they present a story that is extremely exciting in terms of sound as well. The album is equipped with the necessary dramaturgy including the multitude of all imaginable emotions. They made sure not to fall in any kind of cliché. Even though you can't help it that some parts remind of you of earlier recorded albums and Pink Floyd is never far away. Like the sound effects you can hear in Part VI, All Because Of You. This begins with the sounds of a train rushing along the tracks and the musicians take over with their instruments. At first you might think they kept the pace of speed of the train. But that didn't happened. They just slowed down like a train that stops at the train station. The new album has its own pace and its own drama. The album has its appropriately graded tension and a whole range of unequivocally positive emotions. The Unforgivable has all the possible qualities that make it one of the most interesting and ambitious progressive rock releases of this year. Anubis have succeeded with an album which is worth getting to know thoroughly and listening to multiple times. While doing this each time you can discover something new. You can hear that the gentlemen's sense of entitlement is not left out. It is internalized in the great symbiosis of dramatic storytelling with some darkly coloured harmonies and the usual excellent melodic lines that the band can offer here. The Unforgivable is without any doubt another magnum opus from the Sydney band. The album sums up in many ways what Anubis were, are and may be in the future. The sound of the early days is back in full glory. A sound which was beloved by myself in many ways. But it also shows improvement. It can always be better, can't it. They didn't sit back but not only made one step but two steps forword. And the third step will be set next time. That's for sure. Because another true masterpiece can now be added to their already impressive catalogue. Well done indeed. One of the musical highlights of 2024 and therefore highly recommended to those who like the earlier mentioned bands! ***** Henri Strik (edited by Dave Smith) Where to buy? |
