Anubis is a Progressive Rock band based in Sydney, Australia.
In the new millennium, the dreaded term 'progressive' is no longer considered quite as dubious and potentially career-threatening an admission as perhaps it once was. In fact, far from the cliches of fantasy lyrics and typecast soundscapes of gain-laden guitar and bombastic layers of symphonic keyboards, Anubis' music is dynamic, varied and distinctly cinematic in scope. The key being the contrast between introspective and delicate, and the extremely aggressive, the tonal and harmonic, and the atonal and chaotic. The aim being to keep the balance swinging between to create musical moods, textures and colours to fill in the picture.
For a start, the idea that music has to be carried by the vocal or the lyric alone is exceptionally limiting. All five instruments in Anubis have their moments of carrying the torch, so to speak, for the piece they are playing. That's not to diminish the importance of the central themes and storylines in the songs themselves, it's probably more accurate to emphasise that the music is sympathetic to, and in many cases, responsible for creating the mood, not unlike soundtrack music, therefore even the instrumental sections contribute their own powerful imagery.
The band's debut LP, 230503, due for digital and conventional release in mid-2009, is a 70 minute concept album. At the risk of sounding hopelessly pretentious, the album is a meditation on loss and how it is dealt with. The story deals with the disappearance of a young man who, whilst travelling abroad, falls into the ocean and is 'presumed drowned'. Specifically dealt with from the perspective of his younger sister, who never comes to terms with his death, she clutches to the hope her brother is still alive somewhere. The story was inspired by the similar loss of a close friend to some of the members of Anubis, and to whom it is respectfully dedicated.
The band formed in early 2004, with the specific intent of writing a 'proper, old-school concept album' to dedicate to their then-recently deceased friend. The idea grew and eventually, out of respect, the story evolved into a fictional work, and the protagonist became anonymous to represent the fact he wasn't actually anyone at all, or could be anyone at all. So, unusually for any plot with a central character, his name is deliberately not used at any time in the story.
The album took shape gradually, over the course of three years under the watchful eye of the band's honorary 6th member, producer and guitarist Dean Bennison, from 'The Expert Sleepers'. A gifted writer and composer in his own right, Dean's involvement in the project cannot be underestimated: he even makes a cameo appearance on the album.
Musically, Anubis has been described as 'eclectic-prog' (ProgArchives, 2008). A compliment indeed as it means they have successfully avoided the trap of endlessly retreading the idiosyncratic furrow ploughed by Genesis and Yes circa 1971-1976. 230503 features the expected layered, lyrical musical passages, but also folky acoustic passages, ballsy agitated rockers, experimental soundscapes, electronica, musique concrete, world music, mixed with unusual time signatures and vocal harmonies. All culminating in an 18-minute epic that blends the lot. As a journey, the record is both melancholic and uplifting, soothing and occasionally downright frightening. It encompasses a gamut of moods and colours, cinematic in scope but buoyed with a real, genuine emotion that perhaps stops the whole thing from disappearing up its own behind...
Artistically, the band's single minded vision to present 'aural theatre' is uncompromising, and allows scope for an original, edgy and exciting live show, where the music, rather than it's originators firmly takes centre stage.
Where were you on 230503?
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