A TOWER OF SILENCE

Whenever something like this pops up in the Prog spectrum I always get excited to check it out. This more atmospheric, alternative-driven Neo-Prog is one of my favorite aspects of the genre creates. Hogarth Era Marillion, Frost*, RPWL, and post-Immortal Arena, all of which are extremely well done in their musical prowess. That drive and power they have in each of their albums always make me adore their work effort, and their compositional abilities. I have found a new love for these types of movements recently, and I think it was through the help of the Australian band, Anubis.

Formed in Sydney in 2004. The formation was done by Robert James Moulding (Bass, vocals), and David Eaton (Keyboard, guitar). The band soon later got Douglas Skene (Guitars), Dean Bennison (Guitars), Steven Eaton (Drums), and Nick Antoinette (Bass). In this lineup, they got signed to the indie record label, Bird's Robe Records, where in 2009 they would release their first album, 230503, a concept album based on the passing of a close friend of David and Robert. This first album garnered a bit of success and attracted a good amount of Prog fans who are interested in their more symphonic, darker, and ethereal sound. This success the band garnered allowed them to make another album with similar, yet very different themes from their first effort. This prompted an album that goes through themes of limbo, depression, and the concept of the afterlife centered around a bunch of teens discovering an eleven-year-old ghost girl who died in the 19th century. This album became one of their most breakthrough and critically acclaimed albums to date. Their sophomore release, A Tower of Silence, is their most popular album to date, and it is not hard to see why.

So this album is one big song with 8 movements, similar to stuff like Question Mark by Neal Morse, The Incident by Porcupine Tree, and Colors by Between The Buried and Me. Even though this album is just one big song, I will still be looking at each movement of this suite as its separate songs, with the first one being the 17-minute epic, The Passing Bell. I gotta admit, this album does start with a bang. The beginning synths of this track sets the mood, and when the guitars and drums come in is when the track soars. I think the strongest element this song has is the fact that it's very consistent in sound and quality. Each part of this piece has a very clean sound and style throughout, and one that pays attention to intricate details. I think the best part of this song is the atmosphere of it all. It has this depressing atmosphere to it but in a different sort of way that I do not think any Prog rock band has done before. I think the best way to describe the feeling it has is the feeling of being awake late at night, your sheets slightly off your chest, the air from the window slowly breezing through your curtains, your phone next to you, as you stare at the ceiling, the walls, the cracked door. This song has that exact feeling, or something similar. It is a blue song, but not a deep blue, it is a more pastel yet still darker shade of blue that I think envelopes what this song and album are going for, and it's something that I think is the album's strongest feat.

Leading off of The Passing Bell is the second movement of this work, Archway of Tears. I talked about the aesthetic this album has, so I think I should talk about the instrumentation. For one, I love those guitars. They are so airy and yet so tightly knit. They give off this Pink Floyd vibe, one I think helps this album move forward. I also have to talk about the drumming, because it is well done. They are so well-rounded, with each beat being crisp in sound and quality. The strongest element this album has is the instrumentation. I can tell they had fun composing this. It doesn't sound too flashy and big, but the level of detail and quality let it stand on its own two feet.

I can say the same for This Final Resting Place, but this time more so in the keyboards. I just love the sci-fi vibe they give off, they just feel so well made as they smoothly flow throughout the track seamlessly. This isn't even the best part of the song, it's that guitar solo passed the halfway point. I adore how it feels so energetic and lively, yet still, stays true to the more ethereal delivery this album goes for. I think Anubis excels in sticking to a style and trying new things with that style. They are eclectic in their approach and new tactics, but they keep their aesthetic alive by making these new tactics their own.

With that, I think it should be a given I would like the next track on here, the title track. Well actually, I do not like it at all, no, I love it. The tracks before this expertly laid the red carpet down, so this song could walk on it. The vibes, the amazing guitars and drums, the keyboards, and the singing. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the singing. Honestly, it's just great. I love how the vocals just heighten everything a bit more, which I think is important for this style of Prog. As I said before, this track contains some of the best of what the band has to offer. It's airy, it's aesthetically pleasing, it's beautiful. It is the masterpiece song on this album, and I think I think that is a fair thing to call it. It's a masterpiece and one that made me fall in love with this band, so kudos to them.

Now after this point the album starts to dip a little bit. After the title track, everything doesn't take a left turn per se, but the tracks afterward do not hold the same cut as the first four did. Weeping Willow, to start, is honestly a cool- sounding track. The use of more acoustic instruments and an emphasis on vocals help this song stand out on its own. However, it is the shortest track on here, being 2 minutes long. I am not saying shorter tracks are bad, but I wanted more out of this song, so I was a little discouraged when it felt like it was going somewhere really good. It is probably the weakest track for that exact reason.

Things get better with And I Wait For My World To End. It goes back to that groove and vibes the album had with the first 4 tracks. The guitars, the vocals, the keyboards, the drums. Everything is on point, and it helps this song in the long run. It also has a little more stuff added to it. You can tell, on the production side of things, that they were experimenting in the studio to find something new to work with, which is very appreciated. A good step up from the last track.

Things get way better with The Holy Innocent. The experimentation is pretty high in this song all around. Not like experimentation where it's all crazy and intense, but you can pick up some new additions, like a saxophone. Honestly, a saxophone works for this sound oddly enough. It is like the sax in Money by Pink Floyd, except if they utilized that to something like Echoes, or Comfortably Numb instead. Horns sometimes make genres better. It carries a very similar weight that The Passing Bell did, where it is this big and grand track that explores what the band can do. It is a great track, and I think helps the second half of the album nicely.

Leading off with that is the final track, All That Is. I think the album does end with a positive note. The drive and the whole rewarding feeling this song has lets this giant epic be as strong as it is. I do not have much to say about this track sadly because I think I have said what I needed to say with tracks before this one, and so I do not want to sound like a broken record. I think this is an excellent closure to this album, and one I can appreciate.

This album is a treat. It has pure vibes through and through. Everything from the sound, to the instrumentation, to the vocals, to the concept, all are fantastic. While I do admit this album has a bit of a problem where the second half sort of dips a bit in terms of full enjoyment, I still think this album is highly worth listening to. It is a modern Neo Prog great for many reasons, and one I think any Prog fan can enjoy. Recommend checking it out.