Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Anubis
Label: Self-released
Release date: 05/23/2018
Running time: 60:45
Rating: 3.5/5
Anubis are an Australian neo-prog outfit who have racked up four studio albums so far, most of which got a very warm reception from critics and earned them a small but loyal following. Their debut »230503« (2009), which featured an intriguing sci-fi concept, pleasantly surprised quite a few people. »Different Stories« is their fifth studio release, sitting somewhere between a ‘best of’ collection and a new studio project: it’s a selection of pieces from earlier Anubis albums, but with completely reworked arrangements.
Those arrangements lean mostly acoustic, so we get ambient, very mellow versions of the old material that, in their new guise, are perfect for Sunday meditation and chilling out, while »Technicolour Afterlife« is an entirely new song. Anubis’s style is largely built on lush symphonic arrangements and melodic harmonies, which makes them very accessible and perhaps closest to the likes of Jadis, though thanks to the complexity of their arrangements they never wander into ‘prog pop’ territory. Plenty of Anubis fans will listen with interest to the new takes on some of their past compositions, such as »The Passing Bell«, »Dead Trees« and »Hitchhiking to Byzantium«, which come out sounding quite different this time around.
With his genre-blending, melancholic vocal approach, Robert James Moulding could easily lend a hand on more commercial projects with an AOR stamp. One quirk of Anubis that isn’t all that common in neo-prog rock is that they have two guitarists, Dean Bennison and Douglas Skene, who mesh brilliantly when weaving ethereal harmonies, while keyboardist David Eaton is a true master of his keys. Because most of the »Different Stories« tracks are predominantly acoustic, the very solid rhythm section unfortunately doesn’t get to shine fully, but that was never one of the main goals of this ‘hybrid’ project anyway.
With »Different Stories«, Anubis have created an exceptionally pleasant and easygoing collection of acoustically re-arranged standards from their earlier albums. It’s aimed first and foremost at their most devoted fans, though, because it’s nowhere near a representative ‘best of’ from these Australian neo-prog devotees. Acoustic albums of re-arranged standards have become pretty common on the neo-prog scene lately. Galahad did something similar in 2017 with their record »Quiet Storms«.
Line-up
Robert James Moulding – vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion
Dean Bennison – acoustic and slide guitar, clarinet, backing vocals
Douglas Skene- acoustic and jazz guitar, backing vocals
David Eaton – keyboards, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Anthony Stewart – bass guitar, backing vocals
Steve Eaton – drums, percussion, backing vocals
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Martyn Cook – saxophone (7)
Production
Anubis
Track list
1. The Passing Bell (13:20)
2. The Deepest Wound (4:28)
3. Fool’s Gold (6:34)
4. Dead Trees (7:21)
5. Leaving Here Tonight (3:51)
6. Hitchhiking to Byzantium (9:02)
7. The Holy Innocent (9:45)
8. Technicolour Afterlife (6:24)
