It’s been ten years since Chicago collective Anatomy of Habit released their first record, and a lot has changed since then. Anchored by front man Mark Solotroff, the band came out of the gate with long, complex, layered songs that blend doomy metal, Swans-style noise rock, bleak postpunk, heavy drones, and hypnotic guitar-looping acrobatics. It’s tempting to call Anatomy of Habit a weirdo-rock supergroup, because past members have spent time in an eclectic mix of bands that includes Tortoise, Wolves in the Throne Room, Cheer-Accident, and Joan of Arc. That shifting lineup has allowed the intricacies of the band’s sound to morph as well: on 2014’s Ciphers + Axioms, Anatomy of Habit coalesced into a brutal doom-punk monster with two songs that each took up an entire album side with their cold, menacing evil. And then came another lineup shift, and with it a long wait for a new record. This month’s Even if It Takes a Lifetime is the band’s first release in seven years, and their first to feature the fresh lineup of Solotroff, drummer Skyler Rowe, bassist Sam Wagster, guitarist Alex Latus, and Solotroff’s longtime collaborator in Bloodyminded and the Fortieth Day, percussionist Isidro Reyes. Despite the new faces, Anatomy of Habit continue to focus on their core mission: patience, mood, dread, and volume. The dynamics and feel are different with this group, though: there’s warmth, melody, and the occasional sense of uplift. Solotroff is known for screaming his head off, but on this record he sounds more reserved and introspective. The new players add more dimensions too. In the past, the band’s scrap-metal percussion has typically provided harsh blasts of noise, but Reyes uses it for depth and atmosphere; meanwhile, Wagster’s lap steel (which he also plays in postrock outfit Mute Duo) adds beautiful, forlorn, cinematic texture across the board. It’s exciting to hear a band who’ve been around for this long continue to reinvent themselves while remaining interesting.
Anatomy of Habit’s Even if It Takes a Lifetime is available through Bandcamp.
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