Anabaptists – Anabaptists [Album Review]

Glossolalia can only be described as a simulation of standing in a ring of 80s arcade machines and taking meth.

I don’t really feel like this album needs any further description, I mean I could put a lot of thought into typing out an extremely thorough and concise review of Anabaptists, but it’s only 8 minutes long and it feels weird making you spend more time reading my opinion before deciding whether my personal preference is close enough to yours in order to take the plunge yourself and listen to this. Then again, you could come to the conclusion that this inane rambling is just a ploy to confuse you into buying the album anyway when in reality it’s complete trash. Well, it is trash, but in a good way.

Anabaptists do deliver something worthy of more than a single line though; at the heart is a solid post-hardcore backing, with grindcore tones and the odd teasing of a satisfying hook. An aggressive use of modulation effects twist the more unique character of the sound, before driving into a long (but minute for the genre) doom closing. The result of the execution can only be described as frenzied chaos, but in a good way.

For noise nuts who want a torrent of 200mph obnoxious mess with jagged bursts of something that could be pleasant but purposely isn’t, Anabaptists have you covered. I’m not sure how short an album can technically be before becoming an EP, but that doesn’t really matter. Anabaptists as a whole unapologetically punches huge bursts with little breathing room, cramming as much into as short a space as possible without becoming pure white noise, but in a good way.

I came to realise it is a fitting album to end the year, making your neighbours/relatives/pets/colleagues confused and equally concerned for your wellbeing, but in a good way.

It’s probably out now.

Jake Hancke – 30/11/2023

Anabaptists is available from Philip K Discs with a limited edition custom mini CD-R

You might be able to find Anabaptists elsewhere online but links will appear if I find them

Jeremy Hunt of Philip K Discs has created this short film to accompany the album to view at your pleasure