post-hardcore act anahata’s latest is an intricate time bomb

Anahata’s 2020 run is one for the ages. Their stream of singles from “Destroy Me” to “Blackout” to “Suffer” would be the highlight of any record they appeared on. But their latest EP, which dropped last week ups the ante even further. Featuring some of the most varied and nuanced songwriting of the band’s career, Dissonance denies the existence of genres within heavy music.

Kicking off with a massive detonation, “Rust” is a hell of an intricate time bomb. Christopher Leyba’s vocals escalate from a whisper to a scream in the blink of an eye, while the song twists and turns through glass shards and shrapnel. On “No Chance to Breathe,” Anahata adds haunting synths into the mix before lighting a match with the line “Gasoline was always the way.” Anahata is far from the first post-hardcore act to juxtapose beauty and aggression, but “No Chance to Breathe” and “Forgive/Forget” they push both to new extremes. The lofi interlude on “Forgive/Forget” in particular stands out on an album of standouts. Dissonance is a jolt of electricity to shock you awake.

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