We’re glad to announce that Atlanta, United States-based alternative rock artist Anji Kaizen has released a new single, entitled “Monster.”
Started in 2018, Anji Kaizen is the creative project of Angela Hutchins, a singer/songwriter based out of Georgia who has won multiple awards for her compositional and songwriting abilities after graduating from college with a degree in composition and music technology. She enlisted the two punk rock Marshall brothers, Nik and Jory, as both her backing band and studio band after hearing them play an incredible original set at The Masquerade in Atlanta with their band Trashionality.
Influenced by artists such as PVRIS, Lights, Paramore, and Chvrches, the trio recorded the Dark EP together and released it in 2018, followed by the Light EP, which was released in a string of singles through 2019, 2020 and 2021. They’ve also performed at venues such as The Vinyl at Center Stage, The Masquerade, Eddie’s Attic, Pure Life Studios, and Queens of Summer Festival; and the electropop single “Titanic” that kick-started Anji’s career was added as the credit song to the award-winning indie film “Crimson Tower” by Amario Andre in 2019, which has been shown at film festivals across the globe.
Anji Kaizen is the lead vocalist, songwriter and mastermind behind the alternative rock sound of her latest single “Monster,” brought to life by her band of powerful guitars by Jory Marshall and drums by Nik Marshall. Full of thrashing guitars, thick vocal layers and a heartbeat kick, “Monster” is here to shake you awake from your nightmares with powerful and anthemic vocals from Anji Kaizen. Releasing just in time for Halloween, this is Anji Kaizen’s most hard rock, intense song to date.
The song is about someone giving in to their Monster within – featuring backing vocal screams from Cameron Berner, a metal vocalist of the Atlanta music scene and dear friend of the band who leant his time and talents to give the song an edgier, fuller and more aggressive sound. About the inspiration behind “Monster,” Anji writes, “This song is our most intense song to date. I wrote it after being assaulted by one of our mutual friends and having to process that experience. It’s about recognizing that we all have our own inner monsters that we have to battle, and deciding if we’re going to cave or be brave enough to stand up and face them. No matter how scary or difficult it might be… We all have that choice to decide what kind of person we want to become.”
The song was recorded, produced, and mixed by Aaron Pace at AP Audio; describing the recording session, Anji says, “With covid happening, the studio was shut down, so our producer had to bring his mobile studio setup into my parent’s basement for us to record. It was the only space big enough for all of our instruments and gear! So we spent three days in my old bedroom, locked away from the world, bringing this song to life and I was singing the lead vocals in between making everyone coffee, ramen, and trying to be a good hostess at my house for the guys. It was a very fun but surreal experience!“
“Monster” immediately draws the listener in with killer electric guitar leads and thundering drums echoing the sound of a heartbeat. Anji Kaizen’s powerful vocals soon join in for the first verse, harmonizing with distant, reverb-laden chords as she tells the song’s compelling story. Walls of distortion and searing electric guitar leads underscore the track’s catchy chorus, leading into a captivating guitar solo. During the dynamic next verse, the pulse of a kick drum signals the return of the distorted chords heard in the chorus, nicely highlighting Anji’s anthemic vocals, and the track segues into another spellbinding guitar solo. “Monster” ultimately culminates in a chorus featuring backing vocal screams from Cameron Berner, adding an aggressive edge that complements the dark theme of the lyrics rather well. “Monster” is quite an enjoyable listen throughout, showcasing Anji Kaizen’s brilliant songwriting and superb musicianship; I would highly recommend this track to fans of alternative- and hard rock alike.
Don’t forget to support this project and to follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, SoundCloud, YouTube, and Spotify. You can also check out her official website. If you enjoy their music and are able to provide monetary support, you might consider downloading it on Bandcamp; for virtual concerts you can go to songkick “Live from their sofa to yours”.
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