Anyone's self-titled debut is definitely an unexpected release from the Roadrunner Records stable. Far flung from the typical confines of modern metal, this album instead draws heavy inspiration from the once burgeoning art rock scene of the early 90's and garnishes it with traces of late 70's psychedelic rock, traditional 80's metal, prog rock and a wealth of what sounds to be drug induced experimentalism.

Vocally, band frontman/guitarist Riz Story possesses heavy tonal similarities to Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction fame, unleashing his words in a generally higher pitched whirlwind of mild aggression and introspection that is at times aided by swirling, almost serpentine like vocal effects. Guitar wise, the effort is equally as hazy, as colorful riffs collide with winding harmonies sculpted through effect coated self indulgence. Some acoustic passages and drawn out solo styled playing make up for the rest of the bands rich sonic assault, while assertive bass lines punctuate the tracks with a rhythmic grace that is quite vigorous in contrast, though still able to be spacey and poignant whenever deemed necessary. The drumming performance laid down is perhaps the bands key point of stability though, as a wealth of firm and versatile beats vividly ground the songs and add focus, while also empowering them with energetic thundering rolls and an array of resilient cymbal splashes and dead on snare hits.

For a band that so openly supports the usage of hallucinogenics and mind expansion, one would expect that their craft would be more akin to that of balls out underachieving stoner rock. But this is where Anyone differ from their peers, as both their musicianship and the cognition of their instrumentation is both unquestionably impressive and technically sound. The band wholly work together to form a an ever changing wave of aural energy that is rife with progressive flourishes and finesse and as such its easy to get bowled over by the depth and strength of the material. From Egyptian scales to just plain tripped out playing, the band run the gamut of the musical self indulgence, making their material an almost perfect soundtrack to any drugged out journey or cross country road trip. This aside though, its hard not to feel that the music is a bit dated at times and though it sounds fresh in contrast to what is out there today, in retrospect it isn't really re-inventing the wheel, rather just surfacing a side of it which the public hasn't seen for awhile. Another considerable fault for the album stems from the bands tendency to over indulge and let loose, causing a few of the tracks to drift off and lose focus, eventually detracting from the albums momentum as a whole. That said, this effort is still an interesting foray into the world of heavier music as we know it today and whether or not it achieves commercial success seems to be of little concern to the band. Instead, "Anyone", is an album that feels like it was written from their heart and for themselves, which still really is an admirable accomplishment anyway you slice it.