ANEWRAGE – Life-Related Symptoms

By RingMaster Review on April 18, 2017 • ( 0 )

Described as alternative metal but just as much grunge and melodic rock hued in its ear pleasing design, the ANEWRAGE sound makes for a swiftly appetising proposition as proven by the Italian outfit’s new album, Life-Related Symptoms. A blend of the familiar with openly fresh imagination and adventure, something akin to a fusion of Sick Puppies and Three Days Grace, the release has ears hooked and pleasure stoked from its first seconds; holding both with ease across its thirteen infection loaded proposals.

Hailing from Milan, ANEWRAGE began in 2009; its members friends since kids. Soon they found local success and with the release of debut album ANR in 2014, were keenly touring across their homeland and Switzerland, playing with the likes of Gamma Ray, Freak Kitchen, Dreamshade, and Destrage along the way. Last year saw the band writing and working on sophomore album Life-Related Symptoms, a release which should take the ANEWRAGE name and sound to a far broader and attentive landscape.

Produced by Matteo Magni (Rhyme, Audrey, Mellowtoy), Life-Related Symptoms makes a potent and highly satisfying impression straight away but it is fair to say that it is with subsequent listens that it comes into its own; increasingly grabbing attention with its imaginative twists and web of virulent hooks. It all begins with Upside Down, a song opening with pure rock ‘n’ roll bait quickly joined by the strong tones of vocalist Axel Capurro and the rhythmic grumble of bassist Simone Martin and drummer Alessandro Ferrarese. The groaning grooves and spiky riffs of guitarist Manuel Sanfilippo are as eagerly tempting, his backing vocals providing rich backing to Capurro’s quickly impressing lead. With shimmering sonic flirtation breaking through across the catchy introduction, the album makes a strong and contagious start.

It is a powerful beginning quickly backed up by My Worst Friend, a more laid back track but with a just as healthy catchiness and bite in its rhythms and lyrical voice. With electronic essences even more prominent, the boisterous croon quickly has body and appetite in its hands before Dancefloor has both engaged with its senses clipping riffs and dark shuffle of emotive shadows. With matching suggestiveness to its melodic enterprise, the song prowls more than romps with the listener but leaves thick satisfaction in its wake which Tomorrow further inflames with its atmospheric caress around a melody spun jangle. With a more volatile edge to its rhythms and heart, things only becomes more intriguing as a jazz kissed bassline and fiery swipes of guitar bring greater depth to the textures entangling within the song.

A thicker metal sourced growl provides the backbone to next up Evolution Circle, riffs bringing an instinctive snarl emulated in some of the great variety making up the song’s vocal enterprise while Floating Man and The 21st Century respectively cast a progressively hued, melody woven adventure and a rhythmically excitable and boisterous escapade. The first of the pair especially bewitches, its body the most unique so far in the first handful of songs revealing greater imagination and boldness in the band’s songwriting but pretty much matched by the flirtatious design and ingredients of its successor.

The short almost haunting serenade of Life Is You is a tender caress of melodic and harmonic beauty perfectly setting up the darker air and character of Outside. The firmly captivating track is a brooding slightly intimidating proposal coloured with more of the band’s excellent vocal prowess and emotively honed melodies.

All The Way has its own strongly enjoyable time with ears next, if without quite matching up to numerous peaks in the landscape of the album before it with Insight hitting another peak straight after in that success with its emotional and sonic discord kissed grumble though it too is eclipsed by the irresistible Clockwork Therapy where ANEWRAGE simply uncages its boldest flight of creative adventure. The song is glorious, clicking along like a mechanical toy in the hands of its creative puppeteers to steal best song honours.

The heart and melodically fuelled Wolves And Sirens completes Life-Related Symptoms, providing a fine end to a release which has no trouble drawing repeated listens in quick time. It might not be thick on major surprises but certainly has plenty of unpredictability to keep ears and expectations guessing and the craft and imagination to spark real enjoyment and we suspect a whole new ball-game of attention the way of ANEWRAGE.

Life-Related Symptoms is out now through Scarlet Records @ https://scarletrecords.bandcamp.com/album/life-related-symptoms and numerous online stores.