With a debut EP and four albums released since their inception 15 years ago, Chicago supergroup Anatomy of Habit have not stopped evolving and mutating, and Paired Sentinels demonstrates this continued evolution in occasionally drastic ways. Fronted by Mark Solotroff (Bloodyminded, Intrinsic Action, The Fortieth Day) on vocals and synths, the five-piece band’s meshing of almost all forms of "heavy" music continues to take a turn to almost conventional music forms, but never at the cost of their intensity.
That word, "intensity" has been an appropriate descriptor for AoH's work since their debut LP in 2011. Given the noise/power electronics/hardcore adjacent personnel, that comes as no surprise. Besides Solotroff, the band features Isidro Reyes (a member of all three of the aforementioned Solotroff projects) on metal percussion, guitarist Alex Latus (Still), Sam Wagster (Mute Duo) on bass guitar and lap steel, and drummer Skyler Rowe (Mute Duo, Still). For all the pummeling heaviness, a greater amount of subtly and nuance started to creep in on 2021’s Even if it Takes a Lifetime and 2023’s Black Openings, which becomes even more notable here.
The album opens with "Always Arriving," heralded by a rolling thunder of drums, distorted bass, and subtle metallic percussion that leads into Solotroff’s booming, declarative vocals, Here, he is singing more, however, a distinct change from the forceful, almost spoken word delivery featured on the early records. Soon, Latus brings in some massive, distorted guitar passages that lie between melody and monolithic riffing. What stands out the most is that the more conventional verse/chorus structure. This, coupled with the understated melodies, gives the chorus an earworm quality that lingers for a while after.
Perhaps even more of a departure from previous AoH albums is the opening acoustic/electric guitar pairing and marimba-like accents of "Conditions for Freedom." Already a more understated arrangement, it gives way to one of Solotroff’s most melodic vocals that I can recall in any of his projects. Evolving throughout its 13+ minute duration, the song drifts into melodic, bass driven spaces punctuated with Reyes’s metallic percussion, providing a nice contrast for the "softer" (in extremely relevant terms) feel. The song opens up a bit before segueing into a pounding doom-y section that is more reminiscent of the band’s earliest work. From here, the guitar goes from noise-squall into an almost thrash-metal chugging, ending the song in a way drastically different than it began.
A sparse passage of metal percussion is soon fleshed out into a full rhythm section on "The Importance of Risk," which is a throw-back to the band’s previous works in its relentless pummeling. Latus's guitar is intentionally all over the map, bouncing between noise and conventional tones that underscores everything excellently. Already a forceful song, the dramatic build to the conclusion is also very well achieved.
The closing "Paired Sentinels" is another significant move for the band compared to their earlier material. The opening has the pounding drums/guitar/vocals that is in line with the traditional AoH sound, but the double tracked vocals (one declarative, one melodic), which hints at the changes ahead. It is slower, almost funereal, with the synth and guitar generating a brilliant sense of bleakness. In a jarring transition, the pace quickly picks up, propelled by distorted bass and excellent guitar leads. Just as quickly as it came in, the mix opens up more, with Solotroff's vocals eventually yielding to a truly beautiful, lush conclusion.
Compared to their previous albums, the almost conventionally musical grounding and increased focus on nuance makes Paired Sentinels an exceptional record. The four songs also shift in tempo/dynamic frequently, making them even more captivating without ever seeming disjointed or slapped together. I am intentionally avoiding comparisons with any other artists, because AoH sounds like none of them. Seeing "for fans of" on a press release always makes me cringe, so I refuse to do such a thing here.
The album is also impossible to categorize by genre other than those vague descriptors of "heavy" and "intense," which even on their own cannot capture everything going on here. But I should note that I felt an undercurrent through their greater implementation of melody and traditional synths of that brief period where post-punk and new wave overlapped. The raw, spikiness of the former and the early melodic turn of the latter was not something I expected to hear on this album, but that’s what I got, and I loved it. I have been a fan of Anatomy of Habit since those first recordings, but I am really appreciating the development and evolution of their work. I hate naming favorite albums of the year in general (especially in July), but I know this one will be on the short list for sure come December.
