The Total Sound Of The Undergound

Lelahel Metal

Anomic emerged in 2023, blending thrash and death metal influences. Founding members Raaf and Fadi discuss their unique musical journey and the creation of their debut EP, 'Opacity.'

1. Can you tell us about the formation of Anomic and how the band members came together from different countries?

Raaf: Anomic started after I left War Agenda in August 2023. We had some musical differences and I already had written some songs and riffs for the next War Agenda album, alongside Ingo the guitarist and one of the founding members of WA. And then when I left I wanted to do my own thrash metal band, but I wanted to mix it with death metal, not just thrash as WA was. Then I contacted my old friend Fadi, who lives in Germany, to talk about mixing and mastering the EP. I've known Fadi for over 15 years from the Syrian metal scene. Fadi is a great multi-instrumentalist and a brilliant producer. We have always wanted to do a project together. He mixed and mastered a Sepultura cover I did with some friends last year, so I immediately contacted him for the EP. Then I also told him there are vacancies for a bassist and second vocalist, and he was very interested. So he officially joined the band and we took it from there. 

2. What inspired the name 'Anomic' and how does it reflect your music and lyrical themes?

Raaf: I guess the name came from feeling detached from society and social norms. It is a feeling that many people experience, being socially alienated. Moreover, the name opens up other windows for lyrical content other than the traditional thrash topic like politics and war etc. I can feel free to dabble in topics like insanity and morbidity that sometimes result from being socially unoriented and ostracized.

3.Raafat, as the main songwriter, what influences your music and lyrics, especially the themes of existentialism, society, politics, insanity, and morbidity?

Raaf: As many metal artist, I like to tap into the dark side of human existence. But I did not want to focus only on the sociopolitical lyrical themes. I wanted to go a bit deeper into the human

psyche and the dark thoughts we have in our minds. I don't just want to blame politics and the governments for the current state of the world. I believe that the public is responsible too. Their acceptance of the current affairs, the defeat they showcase are just as lethal and destructive as the deeds of politicians and organized crimes. So I wanted to tap into all that and have a variety of topics to discuss

4. How has your diverse cultural background (Dutch/Syrian, German, Polish) influenced the sound and dynamics of Anomic?

Raaf: Musically and lyrically, I tried not to incorporate blunt Oriental aspects. Whether in terms of historical, mythological or cultural aspects. We did not even incorporate any Oriental instruments, at least not on this EP. And it's not that I don't appreciate those things, I do, but I feel that a lot of bands from the Middle East have already used those themes to great extents and did amazing work with them. So I wanted to target the more globally recognized issues such as life and death, insanity, delusions, wars and overall chaos. In the music, I always like to incorporate different scales and modes. so there are definitely some Oriental licks here and there like the melody in the beginning of the song 'Opacity', but I did not rely on that element as the core sound of the band. Moreover, in the Middle East, we have seen a lot of acceptance and submission to dictators for a long time. We have seen the aggressive response to any criticism of politics, tradition, religious extremism. And that ties in with the global outlook we have on the submission of the earth's population to the awful state of the modern world, whether it's through accepting materialism as the last remaining human value, or through diminishing and ridiculing those who question authorities and societal norms


5. Your debut EP 'Opacity' is set to release soon. Can you walk us through the creative and recording process of this EP?

Raaf: when I left War Agenda, I already had full songs ready, so I started Anomic right away. Ingo from WA and I agreed that I would take my riffs and use them, and Ingo would take his and use them however he likes. Then I thought I should start the new band with an EP, not a full length right away, to give the band a bit of momentum and put the name on the map. So I decided to compose 3 new songs from scratch and leave the stuff I composed with WA to be used as a full length, because I wrote all the lyrics for the next WA album and there was a theme I created for it. So I didn't wanna give that up, I wanna use the theme and lyrics on Anomic's upcoming full length. So I composed 3 new songs for the EP, wrote lyrics for them, recorded all the guitars, hired Krzysztof Klingbein to record the drums. After this phase was done, Fadi came into the picture as bassist and second vocalist, and of course he mixed and mastered the EP as well.

6. The title track 'Opacity' and 'On Deaf Ears' have already been released as lyric videos. How have the fans responded to these tracks so far?

Raaf: I cannot say we have "fans" yet since we are very new, but the people who heard the song have given us some really positive feedback. We are very thrilled with the responses so far. Even radio shows, magazines and webzines are writing positive reviews and posts. It's been very flattering thus far, and we hope they enjoy the rest of the EP just as much!

7. Fadi, you handled the mixing and mastering for the EP. How did you approach this task to ensure the final product met the band's vision?

Fadi: I went with an aggressive but clear sound especially with the guitars since the music has a thrashy side as well as a technical aspect. So I wanted to maintain the thrashy feel without losing the details. Most importantly for me was to make a sound that is in your face that compliments the attitude of the band's musical and lyrical theme.

8. Can you tell us about the collaboration with Stefan Nordstrom on the track 'On Deaf Ears' and how that came about?

Raaf: Stefan and I, along with other friends/musicians, collaborated on a Sepultura video where we covered 'Mass Hypnosis' and the guy's vocal ability is stellar. since I heard him in Desolator and Soliloquium I wanted to work with him, and we enjoyed working together on the Sepultura song, so I decided to ask him to sing on both bands of mine actually, Anomic and Paindemonium, and he was happy to partake in both project. Very stoked to have wave worked with him. Great dude also!

9. The artwork and logo of the band play a significant role in your visual identity. Can you discuss the concept behind the design and how it complements your music?

Raaf: Good question. As I mentioned earlier, Anomic means socially alienated and disoriented. So when I gave the idea to my friend Adham Eltorky, he came up with the idea of a man hanging from a noose in the letter M. It was genius. Fits the name perfectly and gives a nuanced aesthetic to the logo. Then when I assigned Chuck Cuevas from BlaqkDesign, I specifically told him to incorporate the hanging man in the M. I also wanted a legible logo with some edged corners to give it a menacing feel, and Chuck did a great job showcasing those aspects. As for the artwork, I wanted something that has 2 faces merged together, but also seeming detached from one another. On one hand, it compliments the band name of alienation and detachment, on the other hand it compliments the EP title, which represents vagueness of the human mind and existence. Also, I wanted to incorporate elements of all 3 songs. So you have the destroyed buildings and towers after the world has been annihilated, which I talk about in 'On Deaf Ears', and you got the blood leaking all over the artwork, which represents the bleeding character of 'This Blood is Mine". Nicolas Oliveros did an awesome job conveying those elements in my opinion.

10. What are your future plans after the release of 'Opacity'? Can fans expect a tour or new music in the near future?

Raaf: We are using the EP to talk to a couple of labels at the moment and see if we get picked up for the upcoming album, which is almost 80% ready and recorded. We are also in contact with a couple of booking agencies and bands trying to set up a mini tour. So, yes many plans, and the new album should be out somewhere next year, we hope. So keep an eye!

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This Blood Is Mine | AnomiC (bandcamp.com)

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