Though an industry veteran who’s long been established in the electronic underground, The Anix has released Shadow_Movement, a brand new record that should see Brandon Smith’s electronic rock project hit a wider audience. The new album, which can be streamed below, is a sprawling 15 track album that, while a bit lengthy, hits most of the right notes – and certainly is a record that’ll be in the conversation for one of the genre’s better records of 2018.
Essentially, Shadow_Movement is a sonic distillation of modern electronic rock. A surprising amount of synthpop influences abound (think Depeche Mode, New Order), but so too do the obvious Nine Inch Nails and industrial rock inspirations, too. This record is teeming with songs that could be hits at radio. Lead single “Fight The Future” is a great example of this, as it serves as a great introduction to what The Anix is all about – combining a pop sensibility with melodic, electronically-oriented alt-rock. It’s catchy, and it all works really well.
While the new record has plenty of standout tracks, “Interchanger” and opener “Road To Nowhere” among them, Shadow_Movement unfortunately does get a bit too long at times. 15 tracks is a lot to digest, certainly, but considering there’s very little actual filler here, that’s not as much of a nuisance as one might think. Overall, what The Anix has accomplished here is worth listening to, and while not every song is a standout track, there’s plenty to sink your teeth into here. FIXT Music has a winner.
