I freaking love punk music. Like, the real stuff: Dead Kennedys, Bad Religion, etc. Unfortunately, it's a genre that's been more diluted than melodeath. Pop punk saw to that. Don't get me wrong, I listen to my share of Blink 182 behind closed doors, but there is a void left for that raw anarchy. Fortunately, at the end of 2014, I was treated to a demo that reignited my inner smelly, mohawk-sporting alter ego. Fusing crust, post-hardcore, and string arrangements; Anopheli is a group that brings the old energy while creating a sound wholly their own.
D-BEAT! Sorry. It had to be said. Scream it from the rooftops. Of all the available drum patterns out there, none them get my heart pumping like the D-beat. It makes me want to break stuff, but in a weird, celebratory sort of way. If you share my feelings, A Hunger Rarely Sated will ironically leave that hunger...sated. Between the rhythms and the sheer conviction behind both male and female shouts of rebellion, you shouldn't play this album around any valuables. If you're driving, make sure it's on a mostly empty highway and that your steering wheel is firmly reinforced.”
But my guess is you still want elaboration on the last element I mentioned in this melting pot of styles. One of these things is not like the others. Yes, there is a predominant use of cello, throughout this album. And it is far from a gimmick or tack-on. Nicole adds a level of grace and beauty to these tracks that seems perfectly at home. The way that the cathartic, aggressive outbursts of sorrow gel with the equally grief-stricken strings is nothing short of stunning. I'm not listening to Anopheli wondering how they came up with the idea; I'm later listening to other bands wondering when the hell the cello part is coming.
To wrap things up in a vaguely descriptive package, Anopheli sounds a lot like early (Black Sails...) A.F.I. accompanied by string quartet. They share the same sadness to their otherwise breakneck sound. But I really just can't get enough of the interplay between Jasmine and Alex's shouting. There is an engaging chemistry there that is above anything a single vocalist, man or woman, could achieve alone. So name your price on bandcamp. Put a couple bucks on the album, and use the money you save to buy some duck tape. You'll want to strap down anything in your way.