A MUEN Magazine Album Review
ANUBIS(Sibuna)
By Darron Markwood
Like the jackal-headed god bearing their name, Anubis has created its debut album, "Sibuna", to "carry your soul across the Nile" to your final resting place with its eastern Celtic metal sounds and lineup named straight out of Egyptian folklore.
The band was formed in May 2007 by a father and daughter combination, Pete "Anubis" Williamson and Sarah "Isis" Co'burn, and is rounded out by a supporting cast of Simon "The Pharaoh" Lees and Andy "The Sphinx" Hart. While the musicians and their alter egos sound right out of an Indiana Jones movie, don't translate the scroll without breaking the seal on the CD and giving it a good listen.Anubis mainly sticks to some strong chanting vocals from Isis on most of their vocal tracks, but the strength of this album lies in their instrumental tracks. The combination of guitars and synthesizers give some great Satriani-esque "Summer Song" style songs that pump your blood from start to finish. The first instrumental, "The Pharaoh", starts with a soothing rock melody but transitions with a bite to keep you hooked throughout the entire seven minutes of the song. Don't be scared off by the names of the two other main instrumentals, "Dual On The Nile" and "Angry Dolphins", either!
The use of the synthesizers on "Angry Dolphins" definitely clarifies the name with a very cool twist to a rhythmic beat as you literally hear the angry dolphins. "Dual On The Nile" has the energy of two speedboats racing against each other on the famous river as the two guitarists give their speed version of 'dueling banjos' with guitars.As for vocal tracks, Anubis does carry over their instrumental talent to "Magic Carpet", which suits this band to a tee. The lyrics take you on a trip more intellectual than the Steppenwolf 'ride' recalling Egyptian lore in the first stanza and traveling throughout the whole song.Isis really shines on the slower, acoustical sounding "Us", which shows her powerful tone with a Sarah McLachlan type of vocal range throughout the lyrics about the relationship she resides in.
For the instrumental tracks alone, the debut album from Anubis definitely stands out like a pyramid in the desert.You can learn more about the band and purchase the album by visiting
http://www.myspace.com/theanubisprojectuk
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