Experimental heavy crew Annelida explore new parameters on dazzling new EP ‘Unencumbered’
Experimental heavy crew Annelida explore new parameters on dazzling new EP ‘Unencumbered’
Annelida have unveiled their new EP, Unencumbered.
The Las Vegas trio show guile and graft, whilst thrilling with their pummelling, brand of experimental heavy.
Notes of 00s hard rock and nu metal splay melodic injections into the band’s intense and progressive hardcore soundscape, with the hard-hitting collection exploring Annelida’s increasingly cultured palette of heavy influence.
Speaking on the new tracks, vocalist Kevin Diamond shares: “Unencumbered is us throwing our own rulebook out the window. Going into this EP, we made a conscious decision that nothing was off-limits. If a song called for synths, clean vocals, or unconventional structure, we followed that instinct without hesitation. While our past releases reflected who we were at specific moments in time, Unencumbered represents everything we’ve ever wanted to do creatively. “
Diamond continues: “Something clicked with our last release, we became harder to define. People tried stacking subgenres or inventing new ones just to place us somewhere. We decided to abandon that entirely and adopt a simple mindset: “this is an experimental heavy band”. No categories, no expectations. Conceptually, the EP follows a character moving through different stages of redemption. Each track represents a step in that process, with the understanding that you can’t outrun your past, you can only rebuild from it.”
Las Vegas metalcore trio Annelida announced their arrival with the release of Lord Leech in January 2022, led by breakout single “Bare Bones”.
In their first two years, the Sin City outfit picked up a weight of attention across the state and beyond, touring the Midwest and West Coast as their resonating live show led them into new territory.
Annelida scored plaudits globally, with the release of Garage Honey & The Bar Fly Mutiny in 2024, a mathy, frenetic display of dizzying riffs and frenzied breakdowns. Impressing the likes of Decibel Magazine, Rock Sound, Outburn & Idobi, the band’s first release on Manic Kat Records would project them into the speakers of a diverse array of heavy fans.
The new collection is an embodiment of the band’s sonic evolution to date. On Unencumbered, Annelida sound just that – the shackles come off as they blend the jagged edges of mathcore with progressive hardcore and alternative rock. The result is emphatic and unapologetically intense. A controlled chaos that Annelida have made into a staple of their identity.
