230503

This is a strange one - recorded recently by an Australian Progressive Rock act. Aussies are rather more well known, on a world stage, for your hairy chested, high testosterone rock and roll, and not concept albums.

Although given all the stereotypes that come to mind with the baggage of (1) being Australian and (2) naming yourself after an Egyptian God, this album takes you entirely by surprise.

No, there's no 'Whole Lot of Rosie' here- just a whole lot of Mellotron. And let me tell you, that's a good thing.

In places it is redolent of the classic Progressive Rock we (mostly) all know and love, but in places throws up some of the more fashionable newies like Radiohead and Mars Volta and even (well not fashionable, but welcome nonetheless) Marillion.

The record sounds quite different to a lot of the Neo-Prog bands around. Can't quite put my finger on why, and indeed, it's not a critiscism. The music is moody and thats appropriate given the dark subject matter. Parts of it, actually make me draw heavy parallels to OK Computer by Radiohead, and that may be the tone in some of the lead vocals, which are very strong throughout, and the harmonies, particularly on 'Leaving here Tonight' are excellent.

The rhythms are strong and there is what sounds suspiciously like a Rickenbacker Bass chugging through a lot of it that, whilst a little riff-driven in places, does add a familiar and welcome character to the album. The rhythm section is tight and the time changes are well executed.

The guitars are exciting and stylistically very broad. The keyboards stick fairly heavily to retro sounds and whist I like that, some people may feel it is a bit deja-vu. There are a few exceptions, and this is where they dip their toes into the Floydy-atmosphere thing, and their guitarist does a very strong Gilmour-esque solo in one section of the concluding epic.

It's perhaps not unexpected that the band doesn't draw on any Australian influence, or at least any readily discernible one, and in all this album comes across as a very English sounding affair. Right down to it's faux-hipgnosis cover, which looks very good and would be right at home on an LP sleeve.

It's a record that has grown on me with repeated listenings, and although it's a bit of a search, it's worth hunting down. In particular, 'Waterfall' which is a magnificent song and 'The Collapse' which has some wonderful vocals in it.

As a Sydneysider, I first found this album when I saw it performed live in here in Sydney. The announcement was on the YesFanz newsletter and it seemed interesting.

The band perfomed this, their debut opus, with incendiary precision and passion and aside from the performance, the music struck me as being something that would be equally enjoyed away from the electricity, bombastic strobes and lights of a live show.

The album - for sale at the venue, has since become something I have grown really fond of. It's a concept album in the same vein as The Lamb by Genesis or Brave by Marillion. It has a plot line and it takes you on the journey. Sometimes the music sets the scene as much as the words. There are songs which sort of wash over you on the album, not unlike the sea you hear on the record itself, where as live they had much more punch. Both presentations equally valid.

230503 makes a compelling listen and it's about time this end of the world had a band who value dynamics and atmosphere this much. It's probably no coincidence that two members of this band also play in an Aussie Pink Floyd show. There's a lot of Pink Floyd's genes to be heard in Anubis.

AT MOST fall in love with this record, AT LEAST give it your time.

This one i listen to over and over again and with every listen i find more and more things to get involved with it.

The music is one well beyond the years of this young Australian group. The song writing is marvelous and any Pink floyd and Genesis fan will love the keyboards. The bass playing will remind one of a young Chris Squire while the guitars cross between Steve Hackett and David Gilmour. Also any lover of Marillion will find a new beginning as i believe these boys can take off where ever Marillion end.

The story its self is strong and engrossing very dark and deep. Dealing with falling in love and loosing love. The story is followed well with help from the lyrics. The harmonies are top of the range.

The best two tracks from the album are the last 2 "The Collapse" and "Disinfected & Abused". For this reason i believe everyone should have a copy.

This is one of the best true prog records i have heard in a long time and hopefully Anubis will be a name we see again and again.

a great trip!

Anubis Australians have released an album concept of high quality. if given a chance, it could be in many peoples collection. It is a concept album based around the sad death of a boy who goes on a journey to search for himself. the history of his life is played out before him and he sees another way he could have traveled, an "Operation Mindcrime" type scenario with an evil doctor that is abusing him and makes him a junkie. The story ends with his death.

Musically, it is sometimes charming and sometimes deliberately ugly. It is a strength that each chapter of story strikes the listener hard. if your taste, you'll find memorable. the voice is the inner monologue of a young boy. it is also by turns melancholy and anger by the excellent voice of lead singer Robert James Mouling as he play the role successfully. the real beauty of this album are the last two songs, 12 minutes 'collapse' and almost 20 minutes 'disinfected and abuse'. this song is in itself a great achievement and demonstrates the good harmonies progressive rhythm and melodies that truly turn the soul and scratches on his face.

this is a masterpiece and it makes a very good album an excellent album. it is a benchmark set, then the future is very exciting to anubis.

4.5 really, but the last song is a masterpiece

We're lucky to have such gems in Australia. Anubis's debut album is a telling story that deals with pain and loss in the most visceral way music can communicate. A highly recommended purchase.

The albums sonic pallette ranges from modern to the retro with a strong affinity for the analogue synth sounds we've come to know and love from the 70's. The vocals of Robert James Moulding cover a gamut of expressions and tone colours whilst still adhering to a sense of consistency which gels together the album's narrative structure.

The definite highlights as pointed out by the other reviewers are the album's ultimate and penultimate tracks which took me on an aural adventure that I have not experienced since Marillion's 'Marbles' and Pain of Salvation's 'Remedy Lane'. Pay special attention to the vocal harmonies and guitars solos in these tracks as they're truly breathtaking.

I have only painstakingly minor gripes with this album on a production perspective and that is that the drums are rather boomy (read: Bonham on heat), however this does not detract from the rhythm section's razor tight precision.

230503 is a near-perfect Progressive Rock masterpiece and belongs heartily in any true Prog Fan's collection.

Out of the murky world of Australian music comes an album so assured and accomplished it is impossible to believe it a young band's debut.

One of the most surprising things about this album is how effortlessly it seems to find the golden middle way between its intellectual ideas and its emotional core, which is a rare thing to find in a concept album like this. The lyrics, the notes, the voices, the sounds, the ideas and the emotions all fuse together in a sumptuous atmosphere - a dark and beautiful inner landscape, full of shadows and mystique, that beckons you to return back to it.

And although Anubis does not break new ground, following in the footsteps of Pink Floyd, they are not easily boxed into a single musical genre, and their music stands on its own, having a strange, almost hypnotic power.

Now rumor has it that a new album is on its way, and I can't say that from listening to this one that I predict what it is going to be, but I know it is going to be magical, I know it is going to be a journey, and I cannot wait!

Very interesting debut album from these aussies. They sure know how to mix 70´s style prog music with modern sounds resulting a very strong record. But I must confess I wasn´t taken by 230503 at first. Their tendency for the prog metal side caught me by surprise since this band was labeled as neo prog. Sure, they do have an afinity with the classic bands (Pink Floyd being the most obvious one), they like to use vintage sounding keyboards together with heavy guitars that sometimes tend for the alternative, but not too much. After some time you get used to it and you can really enjoy this CD a lot.

230503 is a concept album and - like all of them - it has some ups and downs, because the music has to follow the storyline. But fortunatly there are much more ups than down moments. Some parts are very emotional and the guitars soar (yes, the ones that sound like Gilmour!). Robert James Moulding´s voice is not one of the best, but he delivers the goods with such passion and sincerity you have to be made of stone not to be moved by his singing. The same can be said of the instrumental side of the CD. The production is excellent, with all the instruments very well balanced all through the record.

Conclusion: this is surely a band to watch. The music is energetic and full of conviction. A very good start. I´m looking forward to hear their next works. Rating: four strong stars. Welcome, guys!

I kept telling myself I have to review this album. It is a very good record, exceptional for a debut, exceptional in almost every sense.

What we get here is a brand of prog that falls under neo-crossover-symphonic so the band is pretty genre-defying which I admire. It came as unexpected to me, I only read three reviews of the album and was kind of going on a limb, but I've loved the album since first listen.

Their is some type of concept that I have not been able to decipher (making me listen harder) and the music is very intriquing (making each listen enjoyable).

The music itself is kind of hard to describe because the mood shifts quite a bit throughout but overall there is a sort of heavy acoustic feel. When they rock out, they really rock out though and the saxophone is an addition that really gives the album a good flavor.

Just simple decent music. A kind that I haven't seen in awhile. 5 stars (practically without hesitation).

There's been a bit of a buzz about this Australian band of late with the release of their first studio album even if it was back in 2009. I can definitely understand the appeal after spending a few days listening to it. The big positive for me is the atmosphere that these guys develope throughout. They have a good sound overall as well although the one negative for me are the vocals.The vocals and their sound I would describe as modern.The vocalist almost seems like he's shouting the lyrics at times like the vocalist for THE DEAR HUNTER or MUSE does. And for most this will be a good thing but not for me. By the way this is an over 69 minute concept album.

"The Deepest Wound" opens with a phone ringing as atmosphere rolls in.Vocals and a full sound before a minute. I like the guitar solo after 3 minutes. "Leaving Here Tonight" features strummed guitar as reserved vocals join in. A more powerful sound after 2 minutes. Atmosphere ends it. "Breaking Water" opens with water sounds and piano as fragile vocals join in. Sampled mellotron after a minute comes and goes. Atmosphere after 3 minutes to end it. "Waterfall" is a relaxing tune with vocals. Strings late. "Anonymity" has a good beat with bass and strange sounds. It settles before 3 minutes with mellotron and spoken words. "The Bond Of Mutual Distrust" kicks in quickly with vocals. Not a fan of this one.The guitar is crying out 5 minutes in. Atmosphere after 9 minutes to end it.

"The Doctor" is drum led as vocals join in this uptempo track. Not a fan. "Flying / Falling" opens with piano and synths as it builds. "The Collapse" has some organ in it but it's the bass and vocals that stand out early. Guitar 2 1/2 minutes in. Strings and piano 5 minutes in. Some kiiller guitar after 10 1/2 minutes. Atmosphere ends it. "Disinfected And Abused" is powerful early but then it settles with vocals 1 1/2 minutes in. Contrasts continue. Mellotron and sax before 3 1/2 minutes. It kicks back in at 6 minutes .It settles 10 1/2 minutes in with vocals, bass and atmosphere. Spoken words before 12 minutes as the song continues to play out.

A good album no doubt and one where they really try to draw you into the concept.

This is an album that I liked from the start, every song was listenable and diverse. Now, after the twenty-somethingth listen, I can say that I know and like this album very much. A near masterpiece, with lots of theatric vocals, very competent playing from all of the musicians, and some sound songwriting. The album's weakness is two-fold: 1) it relies on old hooks from classic soli or chord progressions (mostly from PINK FLOYD and GENESIS, some YES)--and not just as "hats off" tributes to those bands, and; 2) many sections of songs are rather simply constructed (i.e. do not really take virtuosic competence in order to perform them--not unlike MUSE, THE DEAR HUNTER or AIRBAG). However, the longer songs have a very nice diversity of sounds, tempos and moods in them and are the highlights of the album. A great album, excellent for any prog lover's collection. Not a masterpiece, though. Not sophisticated or emotional enough. Close, though. Definitely an album that deserves more listens--more attention. 4.5 stars.

Modern progressive rock band from Sydney,Australia.The idea of the project falls in the hands of singer Robert James Moulding and keyboardist David Eaton.The line-up was completed by Nick Antoinette on bass,Doug Skene and Dean Bennison on guitars along with drummer Steve Eaton.Their debut,actually an indepedent release,was released in 2009 under the title ''230503''.

Here Anubis mix a bit of everything in a rather chaotic release,which is based on rather accesible songwriting,but with a result very confusing.Elements from Heavy Rock,Neo Prog,Progressive Metal,Psychedelic Rock and Alternative Rock are thrown all in Anubis' basket with powerful,dynamic and atmospheric tracks.The singer though has a very common voice,suitable for modern rock bands but not for a progressive-styled one,while the guitar work is very grungy sometimes,being like a fish out of the water and some distorted parts here and there are too indifferent.The compositions,which are of course the most important part of the album,contain some above average ideas,very far from winning an Oscar or being original,but still listenable.The problem is that these ideas seems to be incorrectly mixed,resulting something trully energetic,but not quite memorable.Yet you can see some rays of sunshine through the compositions with a few nice melodies,some challenging breaks,while the heavy loads of mellotron are well-executed and add a very mysterious feeling combined with the general heavy sound.

Anubis' debut falls short compared to many other records by modern bands trying to push the Classic Prog sound a bit further and customize it to today's standars.Still the high levels of energy of this young band give hope for a better future and one wonders what will be born,if this power transforms into strong,adventurous and memorable songwriting...2.5 stars.

230503 is a new addition to my catalog, from relatively unknown, but certainly up-and coming Aussie band Anubis. This disc, their first, is a triumph in making something actually very good from the naiivity of relative youth,

This album isn't quite the masterpiece it's been hailed by some - it has three or four absolutely astounding pieces of music on it. But that does not a masterpiece make. it is, however a very ambitious, very good, if ultimately a little over-cooked record.

The keyboards sound very strong, as do much of the guitars and the bass playing, particularly on the latter part of the album (where the epics live) is outstanding. That Rickenbacker tone!

Play the tracks 'Waterfall', 'The Bond of Mutual Distrust' 'The Collapse' and 'Disinfected and Abused', and you hear what this group is capable of. Then get the second album because it's a corker.

With the recurring motif of a ringing telephone that's never answered weaving its way through the album, 230503 by Anubis revolves around a mysterious concept surrounding the death of its protagonist. With touching lyrics and emotional performances, the band deploy a particularly masterful form of neo-prog which sounds extremely up to date at places whilst still tapping in to time-honoured prog traditions - imagine a fusion between Muse and IQ and you might get some idea of where things are going here. Although the concept seems a little muddled - perhaps as a result of it being repurposed as a general sort of everyman story as opposed to being a veiled tribute to a departed friend of the band - on the whole this is a pretty decent first album which put Anubis on the neo-prog map, though I find it less compelling on return listens.

It took a while for this album to grow on me. The only reason that this album recieved more airplay than the first initial listen from my side was really due to the next album from the band which after hearing it renewed my interest in this one.

"The Deepest Wound" - The "alternative rock" sound of this track almost put me off the album to start with but on relistens I picked up an interesting thread that underlies the top layer "Men at Work" sound of the track.

"Leaving here Tonight" - Starts off with a sound that I love being the acoustic guitar sound of America and the like (Ventura Highway kind of guitar sound) before fleshing out into a very enjoyable excursion into almost Pink Floydish territory.

"Breaking Water" - Haunting simple piano driven beginning to a musical mood excursion. Almost an interlude track.

"Waterfall" - I enjoy the bass through this slow moody piece punctuated by Gilmour sounding guitar.

"Anonymity" - Another interesting electronic mood interlude kind of track.

"The Bond of Mutual Distrust" - Starts of gently before slamming in with an almost alternative rock sound again. Halfway through it segues into psychadelic space rock turf before returning to the alternative sound. An interesting track although the "alternative rock" sound is not my cup of tea for the main part.

"The Doctor" - "Men At Work" sound again doesn't do all that much for me. Not an album highlight.

"Flying / Falling" - Interlude type track that returns my interest to the album after the previous interest breaking track.

"The Collapse" - Again that "alternative rock" sound to start however the track fleshes out into a brilliant piece of progressive majesty.

"Disinfected and Abused" - This is brilliant music and this track along with the previous one are the giants on the album.

All in all I have a love/hate relationship with this album. I don't like "alternative rock" as a rule however this is kind of a progressive adventure incorporating the alternative rock sound in what is essentially a progressive music sound journey. I can't fault the musicianship as it is excellent as is the album concept. The highs are really high and the lows (which aren't many) are really low. It isn't an album that I will bury at the bottom of my maybe listen to again pile as I will most definitely be listening to it again however I usually defer to this albums younger brother when I decide to listen to Anubis. Rating wise I have to give this album four stars - it is really a three and a half star effort but as this is a band that I am most definitely watching in anticipation in future I'll push it to four.

ANUBIS was founded in 2004 by Robert James Moulding (vocals / percussion / bass) and David Eaton (keyboards / vocals/ guitars) in Sidney, Australia and was intended to be a one album project dedicated to the memory of a friend who was killed the prior year. In fact the title 230503 refers to the dreadful date on which the tragedy occurred. The album is absolutely drenched in symbolism beginning with the very name of the band itself which refers to the famous jackal-headed god associated with mummification and afterlife in ancient Egypt. The album took three years to create and would not see a release until 2009. The result of all this carefully well-crafted effort is almost 70 minutes of music which is a beautiful masterpiece of both emotional and instrumental splendor.

Like most neo-prog albums this too is a concept album which while inspired by the loss of a friend, is more of a fictional tale that handles the concept of a man who falls from a boat in the open sea and ends up washing ashore with amnesia. He finds his way back to his city of origin and has to deal with finding out who he is. The story reminds me of good old fashioned Pink Floyd inspired paranoia as do some of the space rock effects in the extended instrumental workouts.

Although neo-prog is the template for song writing and story-telling, the music expands into many musical territories. This is neo-prog that one can totally ignore the story and still be floored by the sheer amount of ingenious twists and turns on a musical level alone. The parts that are associated with neo-prog such as the swirling synth lines is taken to an extreme here as there are so many complementary synth lines that build on layers upon layers to form this melodic behemoth. Equally compelling are the guitar parts that take a Porcupine Tree approach in chord progressions while adding some extremely beautiful guitar solos and fills when necessary, but so forceful and powerful that they nurture my headbanging side while assuaging my thirst for melody.

I simply find myself getting sucked into 230503 so deeply that I never once become bored throughout its entirety. The constant effort to keep the rhythmic pace diverse with the perfectly aligned spaced out slow parts with the hard rockin' ones really paces itself in tandem with the story that is laid out. The music is far more diverse than most neo-prog releases dare go. There are chimes and bells for percussion, there are swirling helices of synth sounds, upbeat swing rock, sizzling sax solos and of course the opening telephone that sets the stage for the narration to unfold which takes the listener full circle to the end which ends with the same. While the general consensus is that the second album "A Tower Of Silence" is their best album, I will have to go against the grain and go for the debut. For anyone who may consider neo-prog to dabble on the cheesiest AOR side of music and simply a form of "soft prog" then I highly advise you to check out ANUBIS who devastates any such cliché and delivers a brilliant blend of influences with a highly developed sense of creative expression.

Being a big fan of neo-prog, since long was I looking forward to hearing an album of this Australian band! But 230503 is not the great surprise I was looking for.

First, the subpar production makes this album too noisy and sometimes even unpleasant to hear. The mix of the guitars is too loud, and so are the vocals. And that's maybe not so bad, but the problem is that the vocals are just lame. And the mixing of the album gives an absurd relevance to them... Hard to understand.

The rest of the band makes a good work, specially the competent keyboards, some interesting bass playing and the usually fantastic guitar solos.

But talking about the music comes the second big problem apart from the production. Here we encounter the typical 90's and 00's neo-prog with influences from Pendragon, Arena and similar bands and sometimes the band is able achieve to reach some originality and fine ideas like in Waterfall and The Collapse but mostly is just average neo-prog with bad vocals. And even worse are some experiments like the jazzy and really bad The Doctor and the boring instrumental Anonymity.

In conclusion, the debut of Anubis is average prog with lame vocals and some good ideas in my opinion, wasted by a subpar production and some really boring songs, making this album a mixed experience between the worst and the best of neo-prog.

Best Tracks: Waterfall (great bass line at 01:00 and a good guitar solo), The Collapse (another great guitar solo and a very interesting instrumental section at 04:18) and Disinfected and Abused (not a great epic, but a worthy effort)

My rating: **

The patchily shaven cheek of neo prog is offered up for a kiss on this stunning debut. From inspiration to release, "230503" was a 6 year project motivated by the desire to pay tribute to a departed friend, but morphed into a twisted and tragic work of fiction. The story is secondary to its capacity to unify over an hour of diversity, a task too seldom undertaken let alone achieved in neo prog.

It's all here, the tortured vocals, the dreamy sequences, the soaring leads, the metallic riffs, and the sprawling epics, but playing like a short of breath narrative. From the opening notes, it beckoned to me, reminding me of a heavier CLEPSYDRA, and the brief acoustic bridge to "Leaving Here Tonight" seals the blueprints to an album that really gets transitions. While I may have been ambivalent or even hostile towards numbers like "The Bond of Mutual Distrust", I eventually succumbed to the loftier ambitions. The alternating floating and percussive segment before the end of this thrasher make the final convulsions all the more memorable. I had no such misgivings about "Flying/Falling" and "The Collapse", both of which encapsulate all that works here and throughout, including that elusive optimal mix of sung and instrumental passages, from keyboard soaked atmospherics to enchanting variations on vocal melodies.

An album may be, and usually is, a mere a collection of tracks that we listen to and shelve, or it may harmonize our own experience within its grooves. "230503" belongs firmly in the latter division, with a rare gift to offer only those who surrender to it.