Annex Theory - Beneath The Skin
Short but brilliant. That is the best way to describe Canadian bred Annex Theory's debut EP 'Beneath The Skin.' The band mostly relies on Technical Metal to get the job done, but also touch upon Melodic Death Metal, Progressive Metal, and even Hard Rock to expand their arsenal as opposed to boring listeners with the 'same ol' same ol.' Comparisons can be made from Deadlock (no female vocals though) to Periphery to Between The Buried And Me, mostly due to the clear guitar work that can switch from melodic to explosive solos and the harsh snarled vocals, such as on "Event Horizon," one of the heavier tracks of the EP. Annex Theory also incorporate a ton of keyboards with their music, bringing forth a strong atmosphere that touches almost on sci-fi Progressive Metal, which sounds best when it is just that and the vocals such as on "Orbit." Other times it is just background noise to support sharp bursts of guitar and the drums trying to be as technical as possible, but still can be heard quite clearly over the noise. The vocal assault ranges from being snarls to hardcore bellows to shrieks and shouts to clean singing, a large multitude that will appeal to fans of different genres, as vocals are a huge focus in music. "Horizons" considers special consideration as it falls into Metalcore with some excellent clean singing in between the roars, creating a balance that is both Metal and Hard Rock. Overall, this collection is but a small sample of what Annex Theory is capable of; they've got great musicianship and a fresh sound that appeals to the tastes of what considered 'Modern Metal' today. One part technical, the other melodic, there is a but of something for everyone.
- Beneath The Skin
- Event Horizon
- Orbit
- Horizons
