anasazi, which means 'ancient enemies' in the Navajo tongue and is an homage to X-Files with an episode of the same name, hails from Grenoble in southeast France. They started in 2003, and "Cause & Consequence" is their sixth full-length album (not including 4 EPs and a special instrumental release), released in February 2023.
My history with anasazi (no capital letters) goes back to their earlier albums. I discovered "Origin(s)" on one of the online French progressive metal forums I was lurking in. Mathieu, the singer, was sharing some of his early demos and getting some initial feedback from the geeks there.
I've been following them since then and admire how they have been persevering without the support of any major music label.
anasazi influences are definitely progressive metal, and if you are not into Dream Theater, Tool, Opeth, or Porcupine Tree, you can pass this review. But far from the cliché and the progressive metal stereotypes, they built their sound signature across the years, led by Mathieu's recognizable and elegant voice.
The band is not reinventing the wheel with this new opus: "Trapped," the opening track, starts with an Opeth-like groove-heavy riff and the typical early 2000s sound (and a very Tool-like beat).
"324" morphs into a cooler tune with a pop chorus, but you can still feel the underlying spine of heaviness. "Death was (her) name" continues with the typical late '90s metal sound, which would please the Alice In Chains fans in the area (of which I am a part).
The two main pièces de résistance of the album are the epic tracks: the 9-minute "Disheartening" starts with a very atmospheric intro, which would remind the listener of Anathema, to morph into a very stripped-down vocal section and finish with an atom-melting melodic chorus for the finale.
"The Mourning" closes the album with a 13-minute melting pot of all the joy and influence we listened to in the previous 50 minutes of the album. While the progressive riffs keep you hanging in there, they are intertwined with sings in the chorus, acoustic guitar arpeggios, and synth layers, and a furious finish with twin or triplet guitar solos.
"Cause & Consequence" is the most dense and dark album they have released, but it is also one of the most coherent in terms of sound and enjoyable to listen to.