Written by Alexis Zygan
AAnthems have taken a step out of the box by leaking their own upcoming full-length album: Blood Fortune. Due in early 2020, the two-piece will be keeping the record available on Bandcamp until December 15, after which it will be taken down until its official release.
Blood Fortune comes in with a well-loved intensity and hard-rock flare. It compiles an insidious rage and vehement drumming with a sense of power and aggression congruent with heavy metal. The opening track “Bottom Rung” blends hardcore and metal into a fume frenzy punk-as-fuck track that may elicit a neck-snapping reaction from the listener.
The album also seemingly aims to tackle issues of our daily lives. “Fake City” addresses the lack of authenticity and performative happiness visible in the metropolis. A constant need to be fake causes people to lose touch with themselves, who they are and what they stand for. “We Don’t Want That” catches you off-guard with a nostalgic, bad-tempered state of mind — the frustration of screaming into the void with no solution on the horizon. "Pure Fire" takes a step into the positive light. It's a song about, "the positive emotion you can get from being a part of an awesome show," according to the band.
Each new track acquaints the listener with a sense of visible fury. Tracks like “CRISPR” and “Man Overboard” demand a reaction from the listener. One cannot help but absorb the stimulation from the fiery vocals, rapid, fuzz-laden bass and the high-speed smashing of drums. Eventually, the wrath succumbs to grief in the 5-minute track “Red Hands,” which concludes the album with a comment on lives negatively affected by corporate greed. Check out the album on Bandcamp and support them by donating so that they can turn this masterpiece into vinyl records for your listening pleasure.