“It’s in, my blood, to reassess my company.”
Hailing from the south-west of England, ANIIMALIA enter the scene as Marshall Records‘ latest signing. Having already got several notable notches under their belt with a performance at Download Festival 2022, successfully releasing a trio of singles, and signing to Marshall Records, everything seems to be going well for the unit who formed back in 2020 during the midst of that minor event that is now in the back of our minds. This now all brings them potentially the most important step in their path, their upcoming EP, Pressure Points. Produced, mixed and mastered by Romesha Dodangoda, who has previously worked with Bring Me The Horizon, Monuments and Sylosis. It would seem that everything is place for what will be a stellar debut EP.
Pressure Points is a palette of influences and riffs, with each of its five tracks dipping its toes ever so subtly into something different. Opener “Alien” is a stompy track which drives it back to past material to the likes of Flyleaf, with that extra bite and beef provided by amped up guitars and its crisp production. The vocal melody within the chorus of “Can’t trust, myself, my silence is the hardest thing to keep“, which sits alongside a matching guitar hook, is one of the catchiest moments on the EP. “Silver Linings” drops some heavier moments with its metalcore-esque breakdown in its latter stages, alongside some grand rudiments and fills that give the track its stride. Ultimately, an affair which has echoes of Lead Sails, Paper Anchor-era Atreyu.
Later track “False Enemy” gives of hints of Queens of the Stone Age and Rage Against the Machine, a track which flows and builds between its softer verses and its groovy choruses in a sleek manner. Pressure Points continues with the racing “D.O.A“, which has the sound of a classic rock track brought into the modern way with a bit more angst to it. The bassline and riffs give it a pace that results in its memorable quality. Closer “Haywire” feels perhaps too close to what has been heard already on Pressure Points and previous singles. While it’s difficult to fault from a technical perspective, it is difficult to perhaps not see the track as a missed opportunity to do something distinctly different from what ANIIMALIA have already shown us.
Pressure Points is a strong introduction for ANIIMALIA, one worth the time of folk looking for someone new to listen to and support. It displays the group’s talents and Kira Beckett’s impressive vocals, with the expected faultless production of Romesha Dodangoda preventing ANIIMALIA falling victim to the trappings of good music marred by poor production that many bands suffer in their early days. For ANIIMALIA to evolve from a strong prospect to a great band, they will need to find their own style and sound that will allow them to set themselves apart from the pack.
7/10
Pressure Points will release this Friday via Marshall Records and can be pre-ordered here.