top of page
  • Writer's pictureJohn McKenna

Annelida - "Lord Leech" [EP] Review

Updated: Jan 7, 2022

315 Audio & Media The Metal Experience

Annelida - Las Vegas Mathcore at its Finest “This is definitely nothing like anything I've heard before. I could literally feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise from hearing those vocals.”

Angel L. Howard

SinGin Productions Annelida is a band that spawned in Las Vegas, Nevada during the early stages of quarantine. Vocalist & guitarist, Kevin Thomas decided he still needed to write and play music during these difficult times, rather than take any hiatus from creative composition.


Ultimately, the group formed quickly, and they managed to write two singles entitled, “Crumbs for Rats” and “Bare Bones” in 2021.


The EP, Lord Leech is an excellent six-song debut overall. It incorporates elements of mathcore, technical math rock, hardcore, and hard rock.


FFO: Code Orange, Kaonashi, Lowcountry, Knocked Loose, VCTMS.

_________


Track one, "Lord Leech" opens in a static silence. The song carries weight immediately and has constant momentum. It is massive, raw, and delivers a massive dose of vocal aggression. The track is an excellent “heads-up” for the energy that is to come from the following songs.


Track two, "Shootica," right out the floodgates, is a juggernaut in terms of sound. Opening with an absolutely massive high-cut phaser riff along with deafening dissonance, this piece proves to be aimed towards vocal showcasing, progressive riffing, and interesting time signatures.


Track three, "Bare Bones" was the first of two singles released on April 12, 2021 by Annelida. The immense groove that carries along in this track is one of their staple tools on this EP. Having this track available months before the respective debut aired, was an incredibly smart way to show the listeners what this band had to deliver.


Track four, "Crumbs for Rats" was the second single by the group; it was released on October 1, 2021 by Annelida. This song showcases the band's cathartic and exasperated capabilities. The writing is reminiscent of music from Code Orange or Letlive. "Crumbs for Rats" certainly could be viewed as one of their more dramatic installments. The overall tempo seems slower, but never really loses any listenability when paired to songs like "Shootica."


Track five, "Card Counter" transitions smoothly from "Crumbs for Rats" in terms of dramatics. We are greeted with more dissonant guitar work and a bass riff that takes the immediate lead in energy; it all pairs well with a time-friendly thrash overtone from the drums. This track arguably serves as a bridge; it ends with a haunting, ambient piano score.


Track Six, "Nothing Yet" breaks it all down to a great finale. This song showcases the thematics of Lord Leech; it encompasses the groove that has followed through the entire EP. The best really was saved for last. It has two dirty and just remarkably ridiculous headbanging breakdowns. The song begins to bridge and energy fades for a brief and dissonant ring-out. As it closes, that feeling of a finale peaks with more thunderous, instrumental overtones interlaced with harsh heavy vocals. One final devastating breakdown then closes out the EP.

___________

Annelida - Lord Leech


Annelida captures the best of math rock, hardcore, and thrash to form a progressive musical powerhouse. The instrumental writing alone is enough to define this project as “technical.”

In this EP, the listener finds refreshing transitions meshed together with a clear mix and an old-school approach to the raw vocal emotion commonly found with projects such as Code Orange, Kaonashi, Knocked Loose, VCTMS. Having been a brainchild of Kevin Thomas, evidently, energy has transferred from Contra. it seems. Annelida is ultimately a band to watch this year.

Annelida Is: Kevin Thomas - Guitar/Vocals Anthony Carretero -Guitar/Vocals Kurt Murray - Bass Charlie Nicholson - Drums

LINKS:

Contact Email: annelidamusic@gmail.com

Post: Blog2_Post
bottom of page