Anti-M – “Damage” (2008)

Independent Release

Review by Luisa Mercier

Anti-M is a California electronica band formed by keyboardists John Wardlaw, Ruston, and Mark Rumer (who’s no longer with the band). This album is their third full-length release, all self-recorded, produced and released by the band. This album has a nice range of styles within its seventeen tracks spanning from hard edged goth metal tracks to dreamy ethereal interpretations.

The album is opened by the pulsating ethereal “Dreamin in Metaphor” who prepares us for the alternative gothic rock pieces “Let U In”. This features Barbara Mosely‘s melodic vocals over the guitars and sets the stage for other catchy tracks along this style like the title track (more-guitar-oriented), the sweet electronic ballad “Deep” and following the down-tempo, gloomy and sexy but edgy piece “Rage”. Later, “Little Things” also deliver itself as a nice example of female-fronted alternative rock style.

The first part of the album presents these types of female-fronted rock and ethereal songs, in the second half, the male vocals appear and take the lead as in the ballad “Beautiful Babe”, where Barbara only appears in choirs. “Wait a While” is a rather cliché, slow song, while “Rose of Love” is very hard-rock oriented with a lot of electronica mixed to the powerful guitar riffs. The vocals are close to industrial sound. “Incineration” is a short instrumental going from rock to electronica. “Shiver” is even shorter but very very sensual, leading us into the romantic rock ballad “Damage in the Dream”. The psychedelic instrumental “The Sixth Extinction” leads us to the final “No Kill I”, another alternative rock song. This album is not strictly gothic-rock, the styles are quite varied, but you cannot miss it if you are a lover of Evanescence old sound and new Within Temptation and Nemesea!

Rating – 65/100

Tracklist

1. Dreaming in Metaphor
2. Let U In
3. Damage
4. Deep
5. Rage
6. It’s All Inside
7. Little Things
8. Beautiful Babe
9. Waita While
10. Rose of Love
11. Incineration
12. Shiver
13. Damage in The Dream
14. The Sixth Extinction
15. No Kill I

Line Up

• John “Wedge” Wardlaw – Keyboards , Vocals  & Production
• Barbara Mosely – Vocals, Guitar &  Bass
• Ruston – Keyboards  & Vocals
• Mark- Keyboards &Vocals
• Jon – Guitars
• Derek – Drums & Programming

Links

MySpace * Facebook * Site