Anarchy Lace "Dark Mazes"

It's time once again to turn up the speakers, fellow Skulls! Submitting from Sacramento, California, Anarchy Lace is here to rock your face with their fun, energetic blend of Southern and Punk rock styles. Their 6 track EP "Dark Mazes" was submitted to 5 Skull Reviews and will be given the full treatment!

An official release date was not given on this EP. I went digging, and found a mention in their bio section on ReverbNation stating that this was released in August of 2017, which would move this out of the fresh category, being a year old. However, I'm not sure if there was a delay. Being an underground band that does everything themselves is difficult and with multiple social media platforms to control on top of having to cough up cash up front for every aspect of writing, rehearsal, recording, release, and promotion... I get it. We're going to go ahead and give the "Dark Mazes" EP a pass here on 5 Skull Reviews. Not sure if fresh but I won't hold it against them.

Anarchy Lace has a purposeful and crisp, yet obviously Punk sound. They list Social Distortion as one of their bigger influences, and that influence makes sense. These songs are obviously crafted with care, but it still has that middle fingers up attitude.

"Circus Of Lies" almost has a Suicidal Tendencies feel to it, starting off with one hard panned guitar and the whole band joining to fill out the riff. Lena Campbell (Vocals) begins singing by following the guitar riff melodically. Campbell's voice and seemingly nonchalant attitude reminds me instantly of Donita Sparks (L7), and I love it. James Cundiff and George "The Butcher" Bogue (Guitars) have this song slam packed with style, showing off multiple solos instead of the traditional chorus song structure. It's all verses and solos here.

"Love Rage Chaos" starts off slowly, with Josh "The Missing Element" Collinson (Bass) lulling the listener with the melody before smacking them over the head with angry punk rock. Gang vocals are a strong feature on this song, and Campbell's vocal style is much more aggressive. "Don't hate me for my honesty or for my bigger balls" proclaims Campbell. She's on a war path, and doesn't care who gets in her way! This is my favorite song on the EP and Campbell's best performance.

"Demon Seed" features a snarling male vocal, after a cool snare build in from Aaron "BRZRKR" Haakenson (Drums). Another gang vocal is strong here, chanting the haunting melody that's been introduced by the guitar. Campbell joins the band again for a third part, before everything starts over. This is the longest song on the EP due to its multiple distinct movements that repeat.

The title track, "Dark Mazes" is really where the Southern rock style influence is apparent. The intro especially has a blues heavy Southern stomp to it. Campbell sings this one, delivering many verses with her straightforward style.

"Sweet Dance" features more of a duet style, with the male vocal trading lines with Campbell. This also features a flashy long form guitar solo.

The final track on the EP, "America, America" shows off more Southern rock influence. This is a play on patriotism, including a reciting of the Pledge Of Allegiance. The founding of the United States and their expansion West was a bloody story, and Anarchy Lace say with this song that America will face judgement. This is a longer tune as well, but keeps a steady pace throughout with an interesting solo section.

Anarchy Lace and their "Dark Mazes" EP is a fun listen for those who appreciate well written punk rock tunes. Lena Campbell's voice and style of following the guitar melody isn't going to be for everyone, and the distinct lack of any real chorus parts is an obvious deviation from the norm. However, those who dare to be different are the trailblazers of rock and should be celebrated. I really dig the guitars in this band. I would say that the recording quality on this EP is quite good, and I enjoyed the mix because I can hear the guitars, drums, and vocals well.

You should NOT take my word for it! The only way to truly know if you enjoy the band Anarchy Lace is by going and listening for yourself! The band has a couple shows coming up opening for Flaw and Stryper, so if you're in the Sacramento, California area you should definitely consider supporting your local music and getting your ticket. Thank you to Anarchy Lace for submitting to 5 Skull Reviews, may you find great success and send us some more fresh music very soon!

UPDATE: I was contacted by the band, and added 2 songs to the end of the review. I was also informed that prior to joining this band, Lena Campbell had never performed as a singer before. Kudos to her for sticking with it and again thank you to Anarchy Lace!

"DARK MAZES"

Type: EP release

Release date: August 2017 (?)

Label: Self-released

Tracklist:

01. Circus Of Lies (3:40)

02. Love Rage Chaos (2:29)

03. Demon Seed (6:42)

04. Dark Mazes (4:26)
05. Sweet Dance (3:04)
06. America, America (6:08)

How to get it:

Official website:
https://anarchylaceband.com

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AnarchyLace

ReverbNation:
https://www.reverbnation.com/anarchylace

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT1QDCkVL0Bq18pTTq942Wg

THE VERDICT:

3 out of 5 Skulls

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