ANAMOR

In 2003 polish neo prog band Anamor released their debut CD Imaginacje. And I remembered that how good it was, for it was a strong album, where the group proved they already had their own personality. However, nothing came after that for about 15 years, which made me think theirs was one of those one off bands that delivered a prog gem and then it was gone. Fortunately I got the news that they were back in 2018 with new material. And after got a copy of Za Witrazem I´m glad to say they not only kept their original line up almost complete (only Tomasz Rychlicki, who played 12 string acoustic guitar on their first release and was replaced by a second keyboards player, Maciej Karczewski), but also maintained the high quality of their compositions and performances. In fact, it sounds like a continuation of the debut in many aspects. It could have been delivered in 2004 and it would fit perfectly them. Thank god good music does not age!

Like Imaginacje, Za Waitrazem is everything a neo prog fan would expect: great guitar solos and licks, dreamy keys, a tight rhythm section and passionate vocals. Marta Głowacka has lost nothing of her powerful voice and charisma, surely being the star here, with her unique deliver. Marek Misiak is also in great form and his guitar lines are both familiar and original. The style they adopted is very laid back and melodic, reminding me of their polish colleagues of Quidam and Albion, although still quite different. The tracklist if fantastic, and the CD is a joy to listen to from start to finish, making this comeback more than just a worthy effort. There is no real highlight on this album, since the quality of the songs are all very high. Production is also top notch.

Conclusion: I found that this album demands a little getting used to, exactly like I felt with Imaginacje. But once you get it, it´s hard not to press the repeat button again and again. Maybe it is too mellow and not challenging enough for some, but for me it is simply what I was waiting for for a long time. If you like neo prog, or just great melodic progressive music, you can´t miss this one. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4,5 stars.

3.5 stars for sure

Anamor was a promising and in same time one of the best neo prog bands from Poland in early last decade with the debut released in 2003 named Imaginacje. Even the album got excellent reviews over the years in prog circles, the band didn't manage to stay on market long enough for a second album and gone into oblivion somehow. I was really surprised last year when I saw that they are still alive and well and above all they got a new album. The second release was out after 15 years from the debut in 2018 named Za witrazem. Some things mentioned, the line up is same as on first album, that is a good thing because the passages and all are solid and compact, second, the overall sound keeping the same ingredients as on debut that is also great because they don't wanted in their sound some strange alien sounds from other genres , this is pure neo folk prog as must sound this style. The vocals are ok , Marta Głowacka voice is great as on previous album, the instrumental arrangements also stands as well done and performed, there is no weak moments here, even in places I can find similarities with another lesser known neo prog band from Poland - Turquoise. Opening track - W Górę a 9 min pure delight, the rest are also great. So all in all, a very nice surprise and a welcome return in prog circles , I really like it and I want more of this band because they are quite good on what they do.

The history of this Polish band started mid 1995 when four musicians (Roman Kusy on bass, Marek Misiak on guitar, Jerzy Misiak on drums and Cezary Szczerbak on keyboards) founded a band with vocalists they occasionally met. Early 1996 12-string guitarist Tomasz Rychlicki and the first true vocalist Dominika Owsik joined Anamor, a few years later the band gave its first concert. And late 1996 Anamor made their first recordings, resulting in a demo with five tracks. Gradually Anamor got a small cult-following and the music was played on local radio stations. In 1999 Anamor recorded a second demo that contained 7 songs and in the same year Anamor shared the stage with Abraxas, Quidam and Camel bass player Colin Bass. Soon after keyboardplayer Cezary Szczerbak was replaced by Marcin Ozimek. In the new line-up the band started to work on their debut album late 2001, two years later it was released as an own production entitled Imaginacje (October 2003).

Listening to Anamor their pleasant and melodic music is stepping into the realm of the neo-prog. The nine tracks (between 2 and 10 minutes, total time around an hour) alternate between mellow with soaring keyboards, slow rhythms with dreamy vocals and mid-tempo's with piano and synthesizer flights. This is topped with excellent work on guitar (from sensitive to heavy) and warm and powerful female Polish vocals. My favourites are the longer and varied compositions Pejzaż (strong musical ideas and wonderful work on acoustic- and electric guitars and bombastic keyboards) and W Próżni: lots of shifting moods, a powerful flute solo (by Quidam member Jacek Zasada) and a compelling final part delivering a howling guitar solo, supported by sumptuous keyboard layers, this is Neo Prog Heaven!

If you like neo-prog in the vein of Pendragon or other Polish progrock bands like Quidam and Collage, check out this album! Just before I wanted to publish this review I read that Anamor have released a new album entitled Za Witrażem, after 15 years!

My rating: 3,5 star.

Anamor is one of the better neo prog bands I've heared from Poland. With only one album in their pocket they really manage to capture my attention big time. Imaginacje issued in 2003 is a real winner among neo prog albums released in past decade or so. If the instrumental passages are more then ok, a fair and perfect example is the instrumental Pejzaz instrumentalny, the cherry on the cake is the excellent voice of Marta Głowacka, what a pleasent and enjoyble voice has this woman, really great. On pieces like Nostalgia or Sam she shines on every note she sings. I like aswell that Anamor don't copy any neo prog band, thay had thier own twist and is a great thing. Also when I first listne to this band , their music and in places the voice remind me of another lesser known neo prog band from Poland Turquoise. In the end a recommended album, the arrangements even are more on the melodic side of neo prog but aswell some edgy moments are present Anamor manage to come with a solid album in this genre, quite unnoticed. 4 stars.

In a poll on our forum not too long ago about our (5) favourite female prog vocalists I made sure I was not to forget to mention Marta Glowacka from this band Anamor. What a caress for human ears it is to hear this lady sing. She's in the same league as Susie Bogdanowicz (Glass Hammer) and Maïko (Arrakeen) as far as I'm concerned. And that happens to be the very highest league thinkable in my opinion.

Besides this terrific vocalist the band has very skilled musicians (especially the guitarist) and also writes some excellent songs to make the perfect package complete. All in all it makes this band Anamor very comparable to French neo band Arrakeen which happens to excell in the same categories. Also fellow countrymen Albion comes to mind with the same qualities.

So if you know these bands and like them a lot you can buy this album without hesitation. I really don't understand why this band has made only one album. Because if you have such enormous potential in both compositional and executional aspect, you would expect more than just one release from 2003. I hope they surprise me one day with a successor. I even seriously consider to give this album the full 5 since it's just about perfect. It's just that I save these rewards for the true masterpieces and this is just not there alas. But it's more than excellent and therefore deserves 4 stars easily (4,3). Highly recommended for fans of flawless and smooth neo prog.

Very fine band from Poland that has some similarities with another great polish outfit, Quidam. Of course there are some differeces too and they work very well. Anamor is more guitar driven than Quidam, for instance, and they do deliver a great neo prog with some strong folk influences. All band members are skilled players but the group´s main focus is the vocals: Marta Głowacka is surely one of the best prog singers in Poland, with a voice that is both strong and full of beauty. All is sung in polish, but her interpretations are so emotional you don´t really need to understand every word. Guitarrist Marek Misiak plays some fine solos and licks, some in the vein of the legendary Mirek Gil (of Collage fame), and his personal style is defintily a remarkable feature in the band.

The production is very good and the album has no fillers. The music is laid back most of the time, but varied, melodic and creative. Although some songs are better than others, this is a CD that is a pleasure to hear from beginning to end. It´s a pity that I haven´t heard of this band for a long time and no other CD arrived after their debut. But it is a great find anyway. If you´re a fan of neo prog with obvious symphonic and folk roots, Imaginacje is recommended. If you´re missing Quidam´s early times, then definitly get this one. Four stars no less.

This band reminds me very much of their country fellows Quidam and also the more acoustic version of this band, Turquoise, and precisely their debut album. The music is similar neo-symphonic, very melodic prog where the main purpose is to please the listeners' melodious needs (if one has any of course). All these bands have also female vocalists. The music of Anamor features great guitar work and the keyboards are mostly used to color the music. The vocals of Marta Glowacka are very good. I believe this album should be a sure hit if you like the similar band Quidam. It is not really quite on the same level as the fantastic Quidam debut but in my opinion it perhaps surpasses all the rest studio offerings from that particular group.

It is not until halfway through the album that the band starts to deliver the best tracks, mainly "Pajecza Piosenka", the instrumental "Pejzaz Instrumentalny", "Ostatini Raz", "W Prozni" and especially the beautiful "Sam" with its dreamy mood. Actually, those are all tracks from track #5 onwards.

Conclusion: Excellent neo-symphonic!