As mentioned in my "25 of the best things I may never have heard..." retrospective a little while ago, Analena is responsible for what I feel may be the single best "screamo" release of all time (And primary vocalist Ana has one of the most shreddingly vicious yet heartfelt screams I've ever heard in my life!). I completely flipped out over this Croatian band when I first heard "Carbon Based" back in 2004, and five years later (towards the end of last year) they finally followed it up with the long awaited "Inconstantinopolis" (once more from the always intriguing Moonlee Records label). As opposed to the often immediate, aggressive urgency and emotion of the last album, the band has stripped things down a touch this time around, opting for a hint more restraint and a lot more breathing room—both in the songwriting and the recording—so it's a little easier to hear what's going on with all of the instruments and vocals piecing together to form the whole. Thick pulses of bass and straightforward percussion lay the foundation for winding melodies and explosive surges of angular riffing with loads of vocal layering—with an increased level of interplay between male/female vocals here as well—be it singing, shouting, shrieking, screaming, speaking, etc. I'll admit that I do miss some of the immediacy and over-the-top intensity of "Carbon Based" in this material, but I certainly appreciate the alterations they're going for as well, and "Inconstantinopolis" is nonetheless a great album from a band that I'll always have very kind words for. I sincerely hope I don't have to wait five more years to hear some new material from this outstanding (and sorely underrated) group!
They got lost in the valley of things forgot what they want conquered by the commerce kings who made their fortune selling manufactured anger and instant happiness magic drinks read between the lies of their perfect life maps take off the ready-mades and throw away the rings open your eyes and welcome to the desert of the real.
Purchase:
Moonlee Records (CD/LP)
Interpunk (CD/LP)
Comments
Still haven’t gotten past track 5 in your list of 25 because I’ve been listening to mostly just Analena ever since. I agree Carbon Based is a masterpiece, and this album wisely avoids the problem of trying to top it. Inconstantinopolis is a success for different reasons as you described. Many thanks for introducing me to this band.
2.2.2010 | By Marcus Garvey
sad how your “best screamo release of all time” is basically unknown to most people, even those who claim to be experts of this genre. there seems to be something more genuine in the music of a bunch of people from croatia than many US bands that i’ve heard. the whole album can be streamed from the moonlee site by the way.
2.2.2010 | By m
Agreed! I’m glad I can do even a little bit to spread the word, though. I think it’s cool that a lot of the people who read this site are kinda like me in terms of listening to whatever they want rather than being concerned with genres or what’s “cool”.
2.2.2010 | By Andrew Aversionline
I need to get on this, pronto! Thanks for keeping the world informed about this band.
2.3.2010 | By Invisible Oranges
Great band! You can find some very interesting music on Moonlee, check the Fat Prezident!!!
2.3.2010 | By Carlos
this is great! I always wondered if you liked circle takes the square`s “as the roots undo”, in my opinion the “best screamo release of all time”. maybe with majority rule`s interviews with david frost and emergency numbers. even though those are definitely harsher than most screamo albums.
2.18.2010 | By luca