Conveying a brutal assault on the senses with riveting riffs and thunderous drums, Annelida draws on influences from across the width and breadth of heavy, for a sound that carries a perennial intensity. The new record, Garage Honey & The Bar Fly Mutiny, is heavily concentrated with hardcore and deathcore influence, with mathy guitars bringing a dexterity to the rookie full-length. Amidst the brutality, the band have honed an intrinsic accessibility on the tracks.
ALBUM STREAM
“Garage Honey”
The title to the opener is very literal. One time on a flight back home I received a bunch of messages from my wife about how bees have taken over our garage. After properly handling the bees, the honey was left to stay. Now honey flows out of the bottom of the walls onto our garage floor. The song is really about how I do anything for my wife, but “everything I do, I do it for you” was taken. So “Garage Honey” was the next best choice. I decided to have Steven Kinsley from NRWHL as the guest vocalist for the end of “Garage Honey.” I got to know Steven early on in our touring and he just seems like a real standup family man and I felt like he also could understand this mindset.
“No It Wasn’t”
This was one of the first songs I wrote for the new album. This song is for those music industry experts that haven’t had a music industry career. We have been told over and over again that we are doing something the wrong way. I always reply with something along the lines of “we’re having fun and that’s working for us.” Well now I got this song! The interlude after the song that connects track 2 to track 3 was something I worked with when I first got this pitchfork pedal I so often use now. We did play it live all of 2023 and it always turned some heads. It kind of started as a jam that we’d play but eventually it took to the album and now it’s here to stay. That was a sick rhyme.
“Flawing”
This is my favorite song I have written to date. I wrote it about every perspective of addiction that I know of. From seeing people I care about throw away their lives, to my own battles I faced. Even when I felt like someone codependency was tossed onto me and I became the drug. This song was the first time I wrote lyrics first, then a basic synth line and then fit the music to match the timing of the lyrics. It allowed me to use the music as a soundscape for the words being said.
“Black Friday”
“Black Friday” is just me saying if God died for his sins, then we should sin as much as we can or else what’s the point, right? I don’t know, but the chorus is basically me saying I’m an idiot and I don’t have any answers, which that I do know. Also the line “nobody writes songs about rock ’n’ roll anymore” in the last breakdown was something I said to my longtime friend Fat Tony during the changeover between two bands as “long live rock ’n’ roll” blasted over the PA. It got a good laugh so it made the song. After “Black Friday” ends and before “Superb Owl” begins, there’s a sweet little soft tune hidden in there featuring Connor from The Neverafter. I basically wanted to showcase the bands dynamics with this interlude, knowing this will probably never be played live, I took some liberties with some clean guitar layers, solos and some piano. I love Connors singing and every time he gives me something (he’s done guest vocals for us in “City”) it’s always way different than anything I’d expect and I love that.
“Superb Owl”
The song “Superb Owl” is one that will always stand out in my head, I remember around this time of the writing and recording process, I was really leaning into our strengths and completely avoiding our weaknesses, not trying to sound or be like anyone in the metal scene. But looking for Inspiration in other types of music. I wrote these goofy lyrics about my tongue leaving my face, committing a bunch of terrible acts, then I’m left to go find out what he did and take the blame. It’s really kind of stupid when I say it out loud and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t completely rip it off from king missiles 1992 smash hit “detachable penis,” but who can tell. Also the ending is pretty interesting. I actually recorded about 6 or 7 takes of me saying the same thing in different accents at different times to give the effect that I’ve completely lost my shit, maybe I have. There’s a little southern drawl in one of those takes. Go listen for it.
“Mind Eraser”
This is one of those weird math counts I had to give my boys in some weird numerical code. I just wanted a short, fast, hard, simple song to start out sets with so I wrote this. The lyrics are about people that justify their habits when others say they don’t partake. I’ve noticed a lot since I stopped drinking, people act like I must of hit rock bottom to quit drinking. When in reality it was the exact opposite, I want to reach the top (why is there no rock top?—insert Seinfeld bass line). Giving up booze allowed me to be productive every day with no hangover. Even when I have told people this, it’s often met with “I can work fine hungover.” It’s an exhausting conversation I don’t care to have over and over again. If someone takes offense to others trying to better themselves, then they have questioned their own behavior. But what do I know…
“Mind Reader”
This was just a song based on a series of journal entries I wrote during a period of time I went from feeling like an imposter to feeling like I’m the greatest at what I do cause nobody does me better than me. This was also around the time where I started telling the boys things like “were only going to lean into our strengths.” It was originally going to be a departure from what we do and a full song. But after writing multiple verses, I decided to cut the song down and do a single verse and chorus. Less is more.
“Back Burned”
“Back Burned” was also one I wrote very early on. What is funny is I actually had the song fully written and recorded and my longtime friend Fat Tony (again) kept saying he wasn’t a fan of it and it didn’t fit the vibe but I really enjoyed the count and groove for the drums. So I actually completely erased the bass and guitars and rewrote the whole song without changing a single thing on the drums. It was a weird way of going at it. But once I found the scale I wanted, knowing the groove so well opened a lot of options. These lyrics are different than most of my others. Every line starts with “I’m like…” Then I go on to describe how I’m like a prick in pleated pants or how I’m like the safest bug buzzing around your head. It was fun to do and it’s constantly changing from good to bad, it’s all a matter of perspective. I’m like dirt.
“Mutiny”
“Mutiny” is about escaping situations with ease and confidence. Knowing the best life is ahead of you and what’s behind you stays behind you. I wrote it about escaping prison. Something I’ve obviously never done but it’s like Billy Madison’s blue duck theory. “Well, I made the duck blue because I’d never seen a blue duck before and I wanted to see one.” Like that but escaping prison like a badass.
“Something in the Way”
The last song is a cover of “Something in the Way” by” Nirvana. I figured their album did pretty good with that song closing it out. Why not try it ourselves!
Annelida is:
Kevin Thomas – Guitar/Vocals
Jacob Ehler – Bass
Charles Nicholson – Drums
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