The Parisian outfit shine bright on a debut full length a decade in the making.
Anna Sage has taken their time to come out with their debut full-length. Formed in 2012 and having released just two EPs since then, they have refused to rush. Although this album is a surprise to me, being the nature of Bandcamp Roulette, it feels like something I have been waiting for. Anna Sage has created their own pummeling brand of post-hardcore that is a prime example of controlled chaos, making it both memorable and mesmerising.
The album opens with “Holy Mice”, which gives you a bit of a false start before going straight from the cinderblock to the head approach. The vocals are unhinged and feral, but the instrumentation keeps everything in check. “Sinner Ablaze” continues the onslaught of savagery, but with a more tortured approach. This particular track goes for the heart rather than the jugular.
“V” (five, not the letter), slows the album down, creating an eerie atmosphere, and showing that this band isn’t all about the violence, they know how to pace things. “Hostile Cage” is an oddly catchy track, and one that can rile up a crowd in a live setting. It invites screaming along. “Walls of Hate” once again slows things down, but in a more melancholy way. All-in-all the pacing of this album is top notch. There is a sense of urgency that carries throughout the album, but not without traversing other emotions along the way.
While this album is on the longer side for post-hardcore, clocking in at 42 minutes, every song feels right in its place. Nothing overstays its welcome, nor does it drag. Anna Sage taking their time certainly paid off with this self-titled full-length. They manage to express ferocity, passion, empathy, sadness and pure fierce energy. Get your copy HERE.
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