In just eight short tracks (or five songs, an intro, and two interludes) Black Annis grabs you by the balls so fast you won't know what hit you. With the quartet emerging from the shadows of Melbourne's west, this debut album for Jack the The Stripper is the product of a progressional few years of making ears bleed across the city and suburbs' live music scene, tightening in leaps and bounds from humble beginnings to the epic driving force they are today. Black Aniss capitalises on the band's chaotic live appeal, as newcomer Luke Frizon - having recently taken up coveted vocal duties - makes a flawless transition to the JTS circus. His delivery complements the foundation members' violent delivery seamlessly. Equally note-worthy is the technicality of drummer Shane O'Brien's precision pounding, laced with machine-gun double kicks, granting him more than worthy of taking up stool on the Confessions camp.
Each song of Black Aniss suffers from some serious ADHD! It bleeds massive rhythmic breakdowns, cool guitar licks, killer synth undertones, sic gang vocals and even a hint of jazz, pushing the envelope and blurring any mosh-metal formula. No sooner does one element lead you on a path, does it immediately rip you into the opposite direction where something completely different jumps out of nowhere, stabs you in the heart, then runs off into the woods. And it's this dark, nightmare-ish imagery the JTS lads have aimed to capture with their venomous debut.
Stand-out track Hag Ridden is a mental melting pot and the best example of Frizon's sheer madness on the kit, amping up the energy even further. White Wash And Pigs Blood is riddled with just as many sweet breakdowns as it has hooks, with some dramatic pauses for effect thrown in for good measure. Dragged Apart By Horses and Anchoress are two tracks that balance the frenzy with some jazz-infused elements, the latter something your mum might even approve of. It gives your ears 46 seconds to recover before exploding into the onslaught that is Coffin Road Crawl.
The fusion of so many elements proves JTS have taken a punt on a sound they can confidently claim is purely their own, producing a record exactly how they want it to sound. It's a pretty ballsy move for a debut release, but damn-straight it's warranted.
You really need to listen for yourself to truly understand the type of experimentation I'm talking about. Even better, check 'em out live for the genuine JTS experience.
1. The Devil Floating Face Down (The Last Arc 1)
2. Dragged Apart By Horses
3. White Wash And Pigs Blood
4. The Pit And The Gallows
5. Hag Ridden
6. Anchoress
7. Coffin Road Crawl
8. Umbra
