Release Date: March 29, 2019
Label: Golden Robot Records
Label: Golden Robot Records
Over the course of more than an hour, Japanese heavy
metal band, Anthem, relentlessly delivers hit after blistering hit on their
latest compilation album, Nucleus. This Greatest Hits Collection
features re-recorded English language versions of songs that have gripped metal
fans since the Tokyo-based band first achieved success in 1985. Even though
this album’s content is pulled from source material more than three decades
old, sonically, the songs blend seamlessly together.
Each track on this project is comprised of elaborately
produced acoustic layering which serves to distinguish Anthem’s sound. The band
has frequently remodeled their line-up over the years, but with a seemingly
endless Rolodex of talented musicians to call on, Anthem continues to zealously
create eclectic and ecstatic heavy metal. On Nucleus, Yukio Morikawa
provides the lead vocals, Akio Shimizu plays guitar, Naoto Shibata is on bass, and
Isamu Tamaru wows on drums.
If the group’s years of personal hardship and hiatus
have done anything to their music, it seems to have only invigorated them. The
first track, “Immortal Bind,” is a vigorous, testosterone-pumping, cyclone of
energy. It’s almost five minutes of sustained spirit, complemented perfectly by
thrilling guitar solos and screaming vocals. “Black Empire,” a power-metal
track and the lead single for this release, similarly highlights lead-vocalist
Morikawa’s impressively breathless delivery.
On the electrifying track “Stranger,” Tamaru stuns the
listener with a dizzyingly fast drum performance, which pairs with terrific soloing
from Shimizu and another powerful vocal delivery to achieve an album highlight.
Another high point is “Ghost in the Flame,” which wraps
up at just under eight minutes. Placed right in the middle of this compilation,
it’s a refreshing switch-up from the band’s tried and tested formula. It’s a
slower song than what Anthem has delivered up to this point, the drums take a backseat
to gorgeous guitar licks and deep lyrics are delivered without the routine manic
intensity. As the song goes on, the guitar shines through in an ascending,
glorious crescendo.
“Awake” is a similarly well-balanced track, which seesaws
proportionately between vehement main guitar, layered backing guitar, and emphatic
drums. This establishes a splendid base upon which Morikawa delivers euphoric
vocals. The final song, “Unbroken Sign,” also leans away from the band’s
power-metal sound which results in a harmonious, strong, and even finish.
Ultimately, Anthem delivers a tireless, emphatic
performance throughout this album. However, as each song rolls into the next,
the band’s one-dimensional formula threatens tedium. “Ghost in the Flame,”
“Awake,” and “Unbroken Sign” are all tracks that sufficiently address this
over-cohesiveness and break the mold. Never lacking energy, but perhaps at
times innovation, Anthem’s Nucleus is a wickedly exciting, intense, and powerful
foray into this metal band’s long, distinguished career.
Nicholas Lane-MuzikMan.net Staff
October 30, 2019
Reviews Provided By:
Tracks:
01. Immortal Bind
02. Black Empire
03. Overload
04. Stranger
05. Linkage
06. Eternal Warrior
07. Ghost in the Flame
08. Venom Strike
09. Awake
10. Omega Man
11. Pain
12. Echoes in the Dark
13. Unbroken Sign
01. Immortal Bind
02. Black Empire
03. Overload
04. Stranger
05. Linkage
06. Eternal Warrior
07. Ghost in the Flame
08. Venom Strike
09. Awake
10. Omega Man
11. Pain
12. Echoes in the Dark
13. Unbroken Sign
