WER WILL

Some bands produce one album and one would have hoped for more, while others produce many but should have stopped at three or four, but ANABIS is of another ilk. This 80s German symphonic group managed to eke out 3 releases out of which only one ("Wer Will") could be elevated to below average grade at best. At a time when ELOY, ANYONE's DAUGHTER, AMENOPHIS, P'COCK, and NOVALIS were all actually defying gravity, "Anabis" seemed to be going through the motions with beguilingly mundane vocal-oriented synth rock and only sprinklings of inspiration.

"Wer Will" is certainly their best, due in no small measure to the 17 minute "Das Zünglein an der Waage", which combines TANGERINE DREAM and GENESIS sensibilities with a dash of CAMEL-styled guitar. By no means a lost classic, it does demonstrate some natural progressive talent. At the other end of the spectrum is the more concise "Der Kritiker" which also channels Mr Latimer. For the rest, we are cursed with a teutonic SUPERTRAMP and FOREIGNER hybrid, and did I mention the nearly incessantly grating vocalizings of "Holger Sann"? Perhaps the lyrics are interesting but on ANYONE DAUGHTER's "Neu Sterne" the melodies and compositions stood by themselves. Sadly, this is not at all the case on "Wer Will".

It's hard to imagine anyone but a German symphonic completist needing "Wer Will". But actually, that would be me, and I have little use for it. Comparisons to ELOY and GENESIS amount to a disservice to those groups and their fans. Still, if after all that, you feel you must acquire one of ANABIS's ultra tepid efforts, this is arguably the best.