Jason Cannata (Song Warrior Music)
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AnAkA- The Glorified Crusade
After the huge success of their previous album, Rust & Jade, the anticipation began to build, and the big question was how to create an album that lived up to the enormously high expectations set. For AnAkA, the answer was simple- you make an album that completely surpasses and obliterates those expectations in every way. This is The Glorified Crusade.
The album itself is not just a collection of eleven songs, but an experience that takes the listener through several different musical styles. From a songwriting standpoint, it is rare that so many genres can be seamlessly represented in an effective way, and that is the core of The Glorified Crusade. Each song is crafted with a melodic strength that causes immediate impact, involving the listener at every turn, and staying with them long after the record finishes playing.
The song, “Sickness”, kicks everything off with an intro that builds and builds, starting out with the inviting tones of an acoustically driven riff that develops into the powerfully heavy sound that AnAkA is known for. Electric guitars are uniquely layered to naturally create one solid monstrous tone that only gets better as the volume is turned up. Pete Pallis takes his playing (and guitar playing in general) to another level by pushing all kinds of musical envelopes. “Lower Than Low” will surprise long time fans with its creativity, while the title track, “The Glorified Crusade”, has one of the fastest and most explosive guitar solos every recorded, and was the perfect way to end the album, making a statement both lyrically and musically.
Besides providing a constant flow of unbelievable catchy riffs and choruses, The Glorified Crusade also brings out a deep, emotional side to the band with the moving songs, “My Waking World” and “To Live Again”. And of course, contributing to a lot of the emotion is Jimmy Pallis, whose impressive vocal range is on full display and he gives an incredible performance throughout the record. The first single, “Erase”, is an obvious hit with a chorus that people will find themselves singing again and again without even realizing it, and tracks like, “Fall From Grace”, “It’s All the Same”, and “The Eternal Moment” also deliver in that department in a big way.
What separates this album from most of the other ones that will be released this year is that it has a feel to it very similar to a great book or movie, and it is not listened to, it is experienced. AnAkA has thrown down the artistic gauntlet and raised the bar too high for many bands to even see, but The Glorified Crusade has the potential to inspire people as a testament to what is possible with hard work, undying passion, and a relentless desire to achieve any goal and accomplish great things that will last forever.
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