A.N.J.A. – Stimulation (2023)
Take some Halestorm, toss a dash of Queens of the Stone Age, pour a generous helping of Lacuna Coil, and what do you have? You have A.N.J.A. German-born but Ireland-based, singer-songwriter A.N.J.A. dips into the realm of heavy metal, raw punk and hard rock with ease and elegance. For about five years, give or take, she has shared her obscure sound garnering a following with her brash, bold and ferocious music. This is my introduction to A.N.J.A. but she is already reaching audiences far beyond Europe with rave reviews, radio airplay and playlist adds on a global scale. The latest addition to her discography is the single ‘Stimulation’.
Following her well-received single ‘Midnight Raid’, ‘Stimulation’ has the wrath of punk infused in the haunting depth of hard rock. Taken from her upcoming EP The Season of Evil, to be released in November, ‘Stimulation’ drops us at the edge of the Black Forest – only this is a sonic forest, and you don’t need to leave home. Deep, haunting and filled with grim demons, you know you should turn away, but a rope wraps around your heart tugging you closer. Where will this rope lead? Only the eerie path before you will know…
Produced with sound engineer Jack McGarry, the soundscape sets the scene for delving into the grimy, scary and terrified pits of our brains. Pounding drums lead your pulsating heart with scorching guitars expressing all the chaos about you. Slightly distorted, the instrumentation brings an insane confusion dropping madness on your head. You feel yourself falling; however, just as you slip backwards A.N.J.A. grabs you with her bold vocals. An anchor in a mind-altering fall of hard rock, her powerful voice navigates the fog leading you through the forest…or so you think.
Winning your trust, you place hope in the hands of A.N.J.A. only to be deceived. Instead of walking through the mire of despair, she is in league with those tumultuous demons. “Come join us…” she whispers and pulls you close in a bold swoop of metal. Do you feel afraid; hell, chances are you are beside yourself with terror…. then a flickering of comradeship blinks behind her face.
Known for anthemic, profound and slightly unhinged melodies, there is always a deeper message to the song. Speaking or rather singing about her “struggle with inescapable virtual realities, social media, the abyss of the human mind and dangers of artificial intelligence”, A.N.J.A. is as lost and fearful as you. A bond exists while you traipse the dark world and you come out on the other side ruffled but refreshed.
For more from A.N.J.A. check out her Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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