Product Description

After a long hiatus, Anti-M are back with a harder darker sound. In the past Anti-M have used guest musicians for most of their guitar work ( Ronnie Montrose on Positively Negative). However, Jon Moseley now fills that position full time giving Anti-M powerful rhythms and emotional solos. Barbara Moseley also joins the band full time on lead vocals having previously appeared as a guest vocalist. Keyboardists Ruston Slager (who also sings and sounds a bit like David Bowie) and John (Wedge) Wardlaw contribute their mix of layered keyboards giving Anti-M their trademark sound. The band is also joined by Derek Poultney on drums and electronic percussion and guest bassists Scott Wardlaw and Tim Landers ( Loreena McKennitt, Tori Amos, King Crimson Jazz Trio).

Anti-M has always been hard to classify but with the female fronted harder rock sound Anti-M have joined a sub-genre of such bands as Collide, Lacuna Coil, Evanescence, Garbage, Within Temptation, The Gathering and Nightwish. At the same time they have kept their electronic side which has led to reviews that compare their sound to the likes of Depeche Mode, Heaven 17, the Human League and Peter Murphy. While Anti-M have their own unique sound and have not attempted to sound like any of the bands mentioned, their influences can certainly be heard.

Track Listing

1. Dreaming in Metaphor
2. Let U In
3. Damage
4. Deep (Channeling Tori Amos)
5. Rage
6. It's All Inside
7. Little Things
8. Beautiful Babe
9. Waita While
10. Rose Of Love
11. Godzilla vs Rodan
12. Into The Rain
13. Incineration
14. Shiver
15. Damage In The Dream
16. The Sixth Extinction
17. NO KILL I

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #464818 in Music
• Released on: 2008-02-26
• Number of discs: 1

Review
ANTI-M - Damage. This is the 3rd full length by the Californians ANTI-M. With a much different approach on this one than the previous 2, the band really knows how to mix up styles from past and present. With the experienced talent of John Moseley and Wedge on guitars, this has some great riffs and solos and done in a more progressive rock way which works well with the synthetic backdrop and lush atmospheres on some tracks.

Theres some really cool instrumentals that are very prog. rock with a new and updated sound of the 21st century. Barbara Moseley provides the strong and melodic female vocals which are the majority here.Standout tracks include LET U IN which can appeal to the more electronic/gothic rock crowd, and DAMAGE, DEEP, DAMAGE IN THE DREAM and RAGE all have a catchy/melodic sound to them as well. ROSE OF LOVE has a harder WEDGE sound to it, and works great in the diversity of the album as well. Its a very enjoyable listen and doesn't bore for one moment... theres some slower tracks, and some uptempo rockers, and overall some nice variety that fans of newer and older rock/ new wave can enjoy. --Tommy T.-Cyberage Radio/DSBP Records

Review
With Anti-m's new sound, songs like LET U IN are sure to be Smash Hits! --John Dickson-SantaBarbara.com

Customer Reviews

anti-m strikes again
Wedge and the Anti-M crew are back and bigger than ever. After listening to Damage several times, I realized that I had a different favorite song each time I listened. Damage has a combination of hard driving guitar, cool synthesizers, and even some of the vintage Anti-M featuring Wedge on vocals. I listened to "No Waves in Hell" and "Positively Negative" again to compare with Damage. I really enjoyed the rawness of No Waves in Hell and the funky beats in Positively Negative. Damage is the next step in sophistication of Anti-M. I like to turn up the volume and really feel this music. I'm looking forward to any videos and wouldn't it be cool if the band did a live show. I know I'd pay to see them. Damage is a great CD to add to your collection. I hope it won't be so long for the next Anti-M CD. Thanks Wedge. You ROCK!!

Satriani Meets William Orbit with a Bit of Bowie to Create a Masterpiece.
By no means do I intend criticism of this fine work by the title above. "Damage," the latest release from Anti-M, melds many styles into a captivating composition; one that draws you in, challenges you, enlightens you, and subtlety demands listening. My first brush with this CD was met with judgment and skepticism. I remember thinking, "I don't like that guitar sound." I meant (as a fellow guitar player), rack-mounted, overly processed, distortion effects with signature metal licks. That thought came to me in the opening bars of "Let U In," but left prior to the song's conclusion. I like "Damage" - a lot. This is an amazing accomplishment for the apparently Santa Barbara-based[...] studio band. "Damage" does not disappoint.

The opening drones of the instrumental "Dreaming in Metaphor" set the stage for this journey. At the get-go the talent shines in chord voicing and chord choice. The ear is led to resolution that does not take place. Instead, a more interesting motif is presented, and the listener is beckoned to go further. When the guitar starts you are enticed to label this music, but the smart listener (not me first time around) resists. Do I hear Rush? Perhaps. The classical guitar flourish is tasty and provides excellent contrast. A repeat of the guitar melody leads us back to the drones.

"Let U In" snaps you to attention with its quick yet sensual opening cry. The listener is treated to their first introduction of the truly fantastic female vocalist. Benatarian verses and choruses explode with power and meaning. The arpeggio coda is a good touch.

The Title track, "Damage", sans-lyrics, displays excellent keyboard and guitar-doubled melodies. I may be wrong, but I hear acoustic drums as opposed to the prevalent use of drum machine. The china cymbal works well.

The diamond of this music walks into the room via "Deep." Sublime barely describes the level of perfection found here. The vocalist is celestial, evoking the Seraphim. I am unable to listen to this song too often.

The heavy guitaring in "Rage" holds this semi-instrumental down. The effects applied to the vocals, both overdubs and electronic effects, are well done. There is a definite middle-eastern tone achieved in several parts. As one of the longer pieces, it continues to introduce new material to the listener until it dissolves into drums and bass-like sounds.

The third name is this article's title shows up in "It's All Inside." The short break-out launched at 0:52 is fresh. It ends quickly, but resurfaces at 2:06. The vocals and composition are superb. What seem to be real drums accent this song well. The herald at the end gets your attention.

Syncopated lyrics in the verse lead off "Little Things." The Pop sound of this song would make an excellent soundtrack for the latest "chick flick." I hope the band takes that as a compliment -- those songs make a lot of money! Direction: "As theme song ends, dissolve to long shot of coffee shop on rainy day."

David shows up again in "Beautiful Babe," both in the lyrics and the timbre. In a change of mood, the female vocalist arrives, calls to the man...and he answers. Then two are one. The sensuality of this song is undeniable.

"Waita While" takes a very different direction. Moody, searching, and longing melodies are woven into this tapestry. The underlying piano holds this piece together while new tones are introduced throughout.

Plucked notes (on the bass?) start "Rose of Love." The mix of Devo and falsetto works for this electronica. Although the guitar will not let you forget that this is pure rock.

"Godzilla vs Rodan" demonstrates excellent synthesizer composition, tone sculpting and sound mixing. The syncopation keeps this piece interesting.

The wonderful ballad "Into the Rain" is an effective bridge to the hard-cutting "Incineration." The guitar here defies criticism. Wow! The guitar is mated with majestic soaring keyboard lines until it all slides down to a slow dark dirge that is "Shiver." I am not completely sure what "Shiver" warns of, but I'll be sure to avoid it.

Two longer pieces draw the record to its close. "Damage in the Dream" could be seen as repetitive of other styles and material previously presented, yet it presents its message. Dream leads the listener to "The Sixth Extinction" which mixes traditional piano, classical styles and Rick Wakeman inspired runs into a technical fury. The guitar enters to give us a quick lesson before the piano finishes us off.

If you thought Anti-M got soft, "No Kill I" pushes that aside. Guitars and keys knock your head off. Anti-M always finds the melody, (an attribute of most Yes songs as described by Jon Anderson in almost any interview). The lyrics tell us "goodbye," the guitar and drums push us out the door to the gates of hell........but we are met by the angel once again ----- the crystal notes of "Deep" return and are matched with a lone music box, as we look into the lonely eyes so Deep.

This is a masterpiece.

Is that a didgeridoo?
Sometimes I get to the point where I am just tired of listening to music, and I want to try something different. This album has a distinct crispness and elegance to it. It fits, like a comfortable pair of shoes, yet the songs are not just tired, cookie-cutter replicas of each other. Some tracks are instrumentals, some have a female vocalist, some have a male vocalist.

The artwork underscores the mood. The music is dark, but also dreamlike. The production quality is really quite excellent. The band has something to say. Art is more important than just throwing another album out there.
An eclectic blend of instruments and genres. As I was listening to Dreaming In Metaphor, I took a double take-is that a didgeridoo!? Sure as hell. Different. Bold