Anemoia - Gesso
Review: A Noise-Rock Storm Ready to Collapse
Originally beginning as a solo project in County Mayo, Anemoia have evolved into a fully fledged noise-rock band with a sound that feels increasingly difficult to put into a box. Since relocating to Dublin, they've developed a raw, abrasive style shaped by film, anxiety and the disillusionment that comes with growing up.
And if their latest single, Gesso, is anything to go by, they're not particularly interested in making things easy for themselves - or the listener.
Anemoia Are Building Something Loud, Strange and Unsettling
Anemoia have been steadily building a reputation for intense and immersive live performances, with a visual identity to match. Strange imagery and unsettling visuals have become part of the experience, adding another layer to a band already capable of producing an imposing wall of sound.
Over the past ten months, they've supported They Are Gutting a Body of Water on their first sold-out European date, appeared at Whelan's Ones to Watch and MCD Productions' Issue Nights, and most recently joined Chaepter for their European tour, playing shows in both Dublin and Cork.
After a busy summer, Anemoia are back with perhaps their most compelling release yet.
Gesso
Is All About Noise, Tension and Disintegration
From the opening seconds, Gesso
feels like it's permanently on the verge of losing control.
It's a fast, restless track driven by sharp drum rhythms, abrasive guitars and a serious dose of alternative rock energy. At its centre is an absolutely massive wall of guitar, with effects pedals and feedback used to create something that feels less like a traditional guitar arrangement and more like a physical force.
The vocals are buried deep within the mix, almost disappearing beneath the guitars. Rather than fighting their way to the front, they become another texture in the overall sound - another piece of the noise.
It's a bold approach, but it works.
There's a constant feeling that the whole thing could collapse at any moment, and that's exactly where Gesso
gets interesting. By the closing stages, the track sounds like it's buckling under its own weight. Subtle manipulation of room-mic drum bleed into a closer, more direct signal adds to the sensation that the song is literally coming apart at the seams.
It's noisy, claustrophobic and deliberately uncomfortable.
The Childhood Fear Behind Gesso
Beneath all the feedback and distortion, there's a surprisingly personal idea driving the song.
Anemoia describe Gesso
as being built around a claustrophobic dream of being a child lost in the woods, exploring how childhood fears can quietly follow us into adulthood.
The band describe the track as being about grief, self-containment and trying to navigate the fog created by losing your perspective. The bridge becomes the emotional breaking point, with the song's structure itself beginning to unravel as it captures the feeling of losing your grip on a particular moment.
That makes the chaotic production feel much more purposeful.
This isn't noise for the sake of noise. The distorted guitars, buried vocals and increasingly unstable arrangement all reinforce the song's themes of anxiety, fear and disorientation.
From Bedroom Demo to Windmill Lane
Interestingly, Gesso
started life in a much more low-key fashion.
Written last September as a quick Logic Pro demo, the track immediately clicked when Anemoia took it into the rehearsal room. It quickly became an important piece of the puzzle, helping define the band's developing sonic identity while also shaping the wider concept behind their upcoming, currently unannounced EP.
The track eventually emerged from the vault and was mixed at Windmill Lane with engineer AJ Das, creating an interesting balance between DIY experimentation and polished studio production.
That combination is one of Gesso's
biggest strengths.
It still feels rough around the edges, but there's clearly a lot of thought behind the chaos.
Final Verdict
Gesso
isn't an easy listen - and that's precisely why it's so effective.
Anemoia have taken the familiar ingredients of alternative and noise rock and pushed them into something far more immersive. The huge guitars, buried vocals, frantic drums and collapsing structure create an atmosphere that feels genuinely claustrophobic.
There's a real sense of identity here, too. Anemoia don't sound like they're simply trying to recreate the noise-rock bands that came before them. They're developing their own language, one built around anxiety, distortion, visual experimentation and controlled destruction.
If this is a preview of what's coming on their next EP, it's going to be worth paying attention.
The single, Gesso, is available through all streaming platforms.
Photo Credit: Anemoia
