RSS Feed


ANARCHŸ
Eyeclöser

Self-released (2023)
Rating: 7.5/10

These St. Louis, Missouri-based thrashers decided to see out the year with an album that cannot help but worship Vektör, and that’s something I find troubling. It’s a strange world whereby bands feel the need to ape other bands which have not so long ago departed the scene. Anyway, that’s the style these guys have chosen, but heed the warning; this is derivative tech-thrash that is way too long at 75 minutes. Sure, there are plenty of twists and turns alongside those snappy vocals, but by the half hour mark my membranes are grated into submission, although not through the embracing technicality, just the familiarity.

If you’ve heard a couple of acts of this ilk then you have heard them all, and as for some of those track titles, absolutely daft even for comedic effect. So, Anarchÿ embarks on a quest that is somewhat cosmically aligned as tracks vary from short absurd snippets to laborious “epics” such as 26 minute opener ‘Seas Of Nihil: An Endless Sea’. Either way, this will still appeal to those who like dizzying and abrasive thrash, although it lacks the freshness of many bands that have gone before, Vektör included, and they weren’t exactly original but came at the right time.

To their credit, the experimental duo does remain highly melodic throughout this opus. but I can’t help but refer again to the album length which suggests a case of over-indulgence. I did find it odd also that sometimes the vocals veer into clearer territory which reveals a slightly uneven feel to proceedings.

I do apologise if I seem over critical here because this is by no means a bad album. For instance, check out the ferocious ‘Murder Me Dead’ which features the whiplash combinations of Atheist and Sadus. ‘Chopin’s Nightmare’ also appeals like a mash of Yngwie Malmsteen and spiky thrash. So there are pockets within this album that really do entertain, but a much shorter opus would have fared better in my opinion. Still, Eyeclöser is volatile thrash dripping with technical lashings – it’s just a shame the ride is so long.

Neil Arnold

<< Back to Album & EP Reviews



Related Posts via Categories
Share