Anchors Are Back With A Killer New EP

15 March 2017 | 6:32 pm | Alex Sievers
Originally Appeared In

Oh, how we have missed you, Anchors. It's fucking great to have you back with this sweet, sweet new EP.

Oh, how we have missed you, Anchors! It's fucking great to have you guys back. 


In 2012, one of Australia's best yet criminally underrated punk rock outfits, Anchors, released an album by the name of 'Lost At The Bottom Of The World'.

This second record from the Melbourne band was a big step up from their previous full-length, 2010's 'Bad Juju', in terms of their already solid, consistent songwriting, the release's overall flow, and each member's musical performances being some of their best yet.

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Now, I heard 'Lost At The Bottom Of The World' upon its initial release five years ago. While it didn't redefine the genre by any means, it's stuck with me this long because it was and still is some of the best punk rock Australia's seen outside of A Death In The Family and The Nation Blue; from standout 'Break Classic', the short, blistering-yet-melodic pair of 'Grimes' and 'Lazarus Sign', the anthemic 'Coastlines', to the only time Anchors reigned in their fast tempos with 'The New Limit'.

It's a record that is just as damned good now in March 2017 as it was back in September of 2012.

As you can tell, I'm incredibly fucking biased towards this band and as you can probably guess, that album has burrowed deep into the very depths of my heart. For me, 'Lost At The Bottom...' stands right up with their my favourite punk releases; Bad Religion's 'Stranger Than Fiction', Rise Against's 'The Sufferer And The Witness', NOFX's 'The War On Errorism', Anti-Flag's 'For Blood And Empire', among others.

However, Anchors play and write music just for the sole love of it. I mean, obviously - they're playing in a fucking punk rock band! As such, the band tends to go dormant for lengthy periods between releases and tours. Which makes their recently released self-titled EP - the first proper Anchors release since 'Lost At The Bottom...' - a very welcome return!

Well, for me, anyway.

[caption id="attachment_1090802" align="alignnone" width="760"]Anchors EP That looks like an old Resident Evil boss. Or a boss from Nioh, at least.[/caption]

This self-titled EP, which dropped just last week, was recorded at The Black Lodge way back in January/February 2016 (you've been holding out on us, boys) and was engineered and mixed by Joel Taylor and was mastered by Alan Douches over at West West Side Music in 2016 also. And to think, for the most part of 2016, there was new Anchors material just sitting on a disc or some hard-drive somewhere and I wasn't even aware! Goddamn.

Now, when you break the band's individual elements down, Anchors' near-endless energetic sound comes from the rhythm section duo of drummer Pat Murphy and bassist Jim Morris, the metallic, slick guitar work from residential riff lord Chris Lyon, and the gruff yet driving vocals and honest lyricism of frontman Brett Horsley. That has been true across all of this band's releases, both on the older albums and right here with their latest and greatest offering.

As for this EP's five tracks, it's simply just more of what Anchors do best; fast, dynamic, gritty and melodic punk rock tunes wrapped up in themes of brutal honesty, determined perseverance and facing down the inevitability of change that life often delivers. From the fast, melodic jam of 'Burn Out The Sun', the swirling Strung Out-like solo on 'So Lost, So Low', the breakneck pace and pure riffage of 'Born To Rust', the sing-along inducing choruses of 'Burn Slow'; Anchors have scratched the itch they themselves left listeners battling with five years ago.

Oh, and also found on the track listing is the band's 2015 single, 'Stay Fast', which is just that - a short, fast, loud punk rock banger. Huh, that sums up their music perfectly, I think!

Finally, in typical punk rock fashion, any and all proceeds that this new EP racks up won't go to the band but will instead be donated to Sea Shepherd Australia. Because Anchors are a bunch of fucking legends! So, go on friends, go buy the band's new self-titled EP right here.


You can stream the new Anchors EP below. Good shit, it be!