Two years after their debut Dark Paradise, ANUBIS return with Anthromorphicide — a title that according to the band means “the death of the human form”, and according to me means that someone in the band has a dictionary and isn’t afraid to use it. The mastermind behind the whole endeavor is Devin Reiche — also known from Hatchet — who says this record is a band “evolving in real time”. Nice talk. Let’s see if it holds true.
Anthromorphicide moves in the power/thrash universe — a space narrow enough that all comparisons become inevitable. And yes, Iced Earth are present in the room without having been invited. “Ancient At Birth” specifically could slide unnoticed onto some Something Wicked tracklist and no one would notice the change. But that’s not necessarily a charge — it’s a matter of how well you do it.
And ANUBIS do it well, several times. The record’s opening trio hits right: riffs that have work to do, melodies that stick, and Reiche on vocals somewhere between Kiske of the Keeper era and a more thrash-y version of Liapakis of Mystic Prophecy. “Reptile Eyes” and “Anthromorphicide” throw in Kreator-isms with power metal theatricality, and the combination works better than you have any right to expect.
Bassist Will Buckley is one of the best things on the record. On “The Arcanist” especially, his bass doesn’t just sit under the guitars — it has its own conversation, with an aesthetic that recalls DD Verni of Overkill and makes you consciously notice something you usually ignore. Guitarists Ulises Hernandez and Justin Escamilla work well together — leads that rise and fall properly, without losing their way.
“My Favorite Cage” is the record’s surprise: synth-based, with guest vocals from Zhariah, and a pop-metal feel you wouldn’t expect from a band with such an album name. It works. Don’t ask why, it just works.
Now for the problems — because there are.
The record’s middle section drops. “The Fire Inside” is a seven-minute ballad that halts the momentum you’d built with the first tracks, and seven minutes is a lot of time to lose your attention on an album trying to keep you hot. Slow tracks have their place — but slow doesn’t have to mean long. The momentum returns, but you need a few tracks to get back into the rhythm.
The production doesn’t always help either. It sounds a little thin — the cymbals are buried in the mix and the snare has a feel that doesn’t reflect the energy David Velez puts into the drums. It’s not disastrous, but you notice it.
Overall, Anthromorphicide is a record that rewards you if you give it time. It’s not perfect and doesn’t try to be — but it has enough moments that remind you why power/thrash, when done right, is one of the most enjoyable subgenres there is. ANUBIS know what they want to do. If they solve the issue with flow and cohesion in their next step, we’ll have something more serious in our hands.
Rating: Good! Released: April 24, 2026 | Label: M-Theory Audio Sites: Bandcamp
