Review Summary: Anacrusis create an often overlooked Masterpiece, their Magnum Opus
Anacrusis fourth album, Screams and Whispers, combines all the elements of their last 3 recordings and polishes up on past production troubles to create not only one of the best metal albums of the 90's, but a masterpiece that transcends musical classifications and should forever be remembered. Sadly it's been tossed into obscurity along with such classics as Mekong Delta-Dances of Death and Believer-Dimensions.
Line-Up:
Kenn Nardi - vocals, guitars
Kevin Heidbreder - guitars
John Emery - Bass
Paul Miles - drums
Guitars: Guitar duties are shared by Nardi and Heidbreder and all solo's, except 2, are done by Nardi. There are some killer riffs here but nothing as fast or brutal as their thrash contemporaries. What they lack in speed and brutality though they make up for with creativity and originality. Not that this is metal-lite, there are plenty of head banging moments but Nardi focused on the music first and the thrash second. The guitars are the core of the Anacrusis sound and are atmospheric from start to finish. The solo's range from soft and melodic to blazing out your speakers, but always go well with the music. Nardi and Heidbreder switch from slow, light passages to heavy hitting riffs with relative ease. Nardi isn't the greatest guitarist in the genre but knows exactly how to use them to set the right tone and lead the music in the right direction.
Bass: For starters, Emery's bass is always audible and is high in the mix. It stands on it's own from the guitars and gives the music an extra dimension. Emery is an excellent bassist and he's used here to great effect. There are smooth bass lines that slither under the music and loud sludging lines that almost have a mechanical feel to them. Screams and Whispers would not be near as perfect if it weren't for the excellent bass work.
Drums: Sadly Anacrusis lost Chad Smith on drums who was a highlight on their last album, Manic Impressions. He was replaced by Paul Miles and, though he doesn't exactly fill Smith's shoes, he gets the job done. His cymbal work and nice beats fit the atmosphere of the album well. While not an outstanding perfromance, Miles complements the music and doesn't hinder it at all.
Keyboards: Yep... keyboards. But don't worry, no solos or Dream Theater stuff here. Keyboards never take over the music but add the extra bit of atmosphere that the other instruments couldn't. A thrash metal band using keyboards is unheard of but i must admit it was an excellent choice by Nardi to include them.
Vocals: Ahh... The final instrument of Screams and Whispers, and arguably the best. Let it be known that Kenn Nardi has some of the best vocals in metal. Whether he be singing, screaming, talking, shrieking, growling, barking, yelling, or whispering he always does an amazing job. His mesmerizing voice is all over the dial but doesn't come off as inconsistent or annoying. His range never ceases to amaze me. On top of all that there are a couple of instances where he uses a slightly robotic voice too. This is Nardi's best vocal performance of his career.
Lyrics: Anacrusis wrote some well thought out lyrics and Screams and Whispers are where most of them can be found. The topics deal with life and the many pitfalls of the human mind and the human race. It's really interesting and goes extremely well with the music. It's also nice that this band broke away from the cliche's of metal, not only with their music, but with their lyrics as well.
Production: No matter how perfect a band performs, an album can't be a masterpiece with bad production. That's not the case on Screams and Whispers though, and one could say it's perfect. Gone is the cold, hard, mechanic feel of Manic Impressions. Screams and Whispers has a life of it's own and the production helps it emit a dark and moody feeling. This album also doesn't feel dated at all, fifteen years later. Absolutely top-notch.
Screams and Whispers is one for the history books and, hopefully, music fans will find their way to this masterpiece sooner rather than later. You'll never hear anything quite like this. It's creative, original, and never gets boring. Anacrusis have outdone themselves and any collection must have this often overlooked classic.
