As the guitarist/vocalist/producer and chief writer, arranger and lyricist of Anacrusis from 1986-1993, KENN NARDI's vision was a lofty one. He wanted to marry elements of classic metal, doom, speed/thrash, and early power metal together to create a unique brand of songwriting. Anacrusis delivered their material via brave and and forward-thinking arrangements while always maintaining a strong sense of melody throughout.
After releasing four albums between 1988 and 1993; the cult-favorite Suffering Hour, the quirky and experimental Reason, and two highly respected prog-metal classics; Manic Impressions and Screams and Whispers, Anacrusis disbanded in late 1993.
After lying dormant for over a decade, KENN NARDI resurfaced in 2006 to write and record a collection of acoustically-driven material under the Cruel April moniker. The project gave the multi-instrumentalist the chance to hone and tighten his lyrical and musical songwriting style without the constraints or expectations of any specific genre.
On his new album, Dancing With The Past, KENN NARDI has brought together all of the signature elements of Anacrusis' sound...the crushing, low-tuned guitar riffs, prominent bass lines, sing/growl/scream vocals, introspective lyrics, and evocative melodies while adopting the more streamlined songwriting approach of Cruel April. The result is a mammoth collection of 28 brand new recordings filling two compact discs.
Dancing With The Past is comprised of music written as far back as 1994, shortly after the Anacrusis split-up, and post-Cruel April. The collection also features material borne from collaborations with his former Anacrusis band mates during their 2009-2012 reunion run along with a re-recorded Cruel April song in addition to the more recent compositions.
With styles ranging from classic metal, thrash/speed metal, orchestral metal, progressive metal, moody acoustic, goth, alternative, and new wave, Dancing With The Past in truly unlike any heavy metal album before it. Clocking in at over 2 1/2 hours, the double-disc set is sure to offer something for both fans of Anacrusis and of heavy music in general. Over two decades in the making, Dancing With The Past bears the fruit of everything musical that KENN NARDI has done up until now.
Originally envisioned as a new reunion-era Anacrusis release, Dancing With The Past features bassist John Emery on four songs (two co-written), creative contributions, and arrangements from original drummer Mike Owen, one song co-written with fill-in reunion-era guitarist Mike Henricks. With all of the other vocals, guitars, bass, lyrics, drum and orchestral sequencing, production, and mixing on Dancing With The Past done by KENN NARDI himself, it remains a "solo" album in the truest sense of the word.
The recording sessions were all done with one eye on Anacrusis and the other focused on creating something completely different. In other words, Dancing With The Past keeps true to the avant-garde spirit that made KENN NARDI's former band so thrilling, while pushing the songwriting and compositional boundaries even further. Quite simply, Dancing With The Past promises to be the album Anacrusis fans have been waiting for only full of surprises they never expected.
