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Rating: There is a scene, in the old Buster Keaton comedy ''The General,'' that I find incredibly fitting to describe the early '90s Thrash scene. In that film, Keaton is a Southern engineer in the midst of the Civil War trying to recover his locomotive hijacked by a group of Union spies. During a memorable sequence, he even manages to drive another engine to chase the Northerners, frantically chopping wood to fuel the train, unaware of how far he was venturing. Now, imagine the surprise when, after all his efforts, he realizes he has stumbled into foreign territory, behind enemy lines.
That's the same astonishment felt by all those bands that, slavishly, followed a musical path leading them into the arms of the enemy, (un)knowingly representing, like the Southerners, only a small opposition. Anacrusis had more in common with Buster than might immediately seem evident; realizing the impasse (right after their fierce debut ''Suffering Hour'' in 1988), they did not sit around waiting for death to claim them but tried to react with well-honed weapons, reinventing themselves with a clear purpose: to become the standard-bearers of Technical Thrash Metal. And so it was that, leaving behind the Punk influences and the disjointed structures of ''Reason'' (1990) in favor of some kind of dramatic grandeur, ''Manic Impressions'' came to our rough ears in 1991, their darkest and most cursed diamond.
The aftertaste this platter leaves is truly fascinating: the rhythm guitars feature scooped mid frequencies, and the distortion tone is jagged and sharp; this sound identity makes the melodies definitely distinctive yet overall subdued. It is therefore the drums and bass that dominate: the former with a crystalline and cold work (Chad Smith), the latter thanks to John Emery’s dreamy figures and psychedelic vibes, reminiscent of Roger Waters' sophistication. But it's the voice of leader Kenni Nardi that amazes more than anything else; how many Thrash bands can boast being recognizable within seconds? Slayer? Voivod? Celtic Frost? Well: the alternation between reverberated and melancholic moans (reminiscent of the early Goth/Doom releases of those times) and chilling screams create a sensation of disorientation mixed with wonder that is truly unique.
Anacrusis retains their primal fury but put it in the service of a markedly heartfelt aspect, with a balanced use of choirs and clean guitars. ''Manic Impressions'' gives little space to feelings of hope; there is the sound of adolescent rebellion, disappointment in institutions, religion, society (the biting sarcasm of ''I Love The World'' and ''Something Real'' demonstrate this amply). Despite the disillusioned vibes the album emanates, there is also room for moments of relief: the speed of ''Dream Again'' or the intensity of a ''Paint A Picture'' show how, in certain circumstances, even headbanging can overcome the depression quotient.
To this day, I am utterly in love with these crazy Americans. I remain fascinated by their eccentricity, their audacity, their willingness to transcend the thought that public opinion might have formed about what they were undertaking. In ''The General,'' Buster Keaton doesn’t always act in the best way, but his inability to throw in the towel before achieving his goal is absolutely commendable; similarly, Anacrusis may never have composed a masterpiece, it's true, but each of their releases appears different from the previous one, always better, proudly authentic.
Do not make the mistake of casually listening to something on the web as you might do for dozens of other bands in the genre. ''Manic Impressions'' must be listened to, inhaled, and sublimated multiple times. Embrace its lesson on the value of perseverance and, if you wish, regret it.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 I Love the World (04:49)
[Lyrics by J. Sullivan]
The roll of distant thunder breaks
The afternoon of silence wakes
They hurry through from Petergate as if they know this dance
In fury blind I drive at night
Across the moors, the open roads
Beneath the freezing starry skies, racing in some trance
These cities are illusions of some triumph over Nature's laws
We've seen the iron carcass rust and buildings topple into dust
And as the waters rise it seems we cling to all the rootless things
The Christian lies, technology, while spirits scream and sing...
Oh, God, I love the world
Well I never said I was a clever man
But I know enough to understand
That the endless leaps and forward plans will someday have to cease
You blind yourselves with comfort lies
Like lightning never strikes you twice
And we laugh at your amazed surprise as the Ark begins to sink
The temple that is built so well, to separate us from ourselves
Is a power grown beyond control and a will without a face
And watching from outside I wish that I could wash my hands of this
But we are locked together here, this bittersweet embrace...
Oh, God, I love the world
And if one day the final fire
Explodes across the whitened sky
I know you said you'd rather die and make it over fast
With courage from your bravest friends
Waiting outside for the end
With no bitterness but an innocence that I can't seem to grasp
I know, somehow I will survive this fury just to stay alive
So drunk with sickness, weak with pain
I can walk the hills one last time
Scarred and smiling, dying slow
I'll scream to no one left at all
I told you so, I told you so, I told you so...
Oh, God, I love the world
03 Something Real (06:00)
All those things that I tried to be,
While wandering further from me
I 'd choked myself in my apathy,
Until I no longer could breathe
My heart, and my hand, always reaching...
Without you within, I was searching...
For something real
The fear followed me and tightly closed my eyes.
The pain crippled me and buried deep the will to even try...
To see so much standing before me
And think there was nothing here for me
How much more wrong could I be?
How much more wrong?
The warmth of life had forgotten me
And left me so cold and alone
But you covered me and placed into me
A feeling like none I had known
My heart, and my hand, I have traded...
With you in my arms I am closer...
To something real
The fear followed me and tightly closed my eyes.
The pain crippled me and buried deep the will to even try...
To see so much standing before me
And think there was nothing here for me
How much more wrong could I be?
How much more wrong could I be?
My heart, and my hand, I have traded...
With you in my arms I am closer...
To something real
To see so much standing before me
And think there was nothing here for me
How much more wrong could I be?
How much more wrong could I be?
05 Explained Away (06:02)
[Lyrics by J. Emery] Donning a sweet contented mask Acquiring bliss, a grueling task Adoring a regretful past Wondering how long it can last Frequenting a cold empty void And fearing I am, paranoid Obeying this despondent way The crumbling hopes, the price to pay Contorted veil of false fulfillment So easily explained away... explained away Nothing changes the future past Pretending to the very last Contorted veil of false fulfillment So easily explained away Driving onward, must gratify I'm posing in a satisfied lie Disregarding this emptiness And settling, now, for so much less Contorted veil of false fulfillment So easily explained away Donning a sweet contented mask Acquiring bliss a grueling task Nothing changes the future past Pretending to the very last Contorted veil of false fulfillment So easily explained away... explained away... Explained away...
10 Far Too Long (05:50)
[Lyrics by K. Nardi]
We have pretended far too long
Ignoring far too much
Accountability long overdue
We have neglected far too long
Assuming far too much
Hoping out ignorance will see us through
We have hated far too long
Hurting far too much
Feelings of compassion stripped away
We have followed far too long
Denying far too much
Responsibility has gone astray
I hope in my heart of hearts
With all my soul and mind
That it's not irreversible
That this isn't all there is
We have accused for far too long
Blaming far too much
Never really able to accept
We have doubted far too long
Distrusting far too much
Our contempt leaves no room for empathy
I hope in my heart of hearts
With all my soul and mind
That it's not irreversible
That this isn't all there is
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