Anuryzm

Emerging in Lebanon in 2003, Anuryzm started out as friends in a college band. Within a year, they managed to perform at a few college festivals, to write original songs, and to garner a modest following. Soon after, founder & lead guitarist John Bakhos would move overseas, only to briefly return home every now and then to rekindle the band’s flame. This would be short-lived however, once news came out in late 2005 that rhythm guitarist Bernard Moussali had passed away due to complications with an illness. This brought the band’s progress to an immediate standstill. In 2007, Anuryzm made its comeback after John moved to Canada with an improved repertoire of songs and with new band members courtesy of Toronto’s local talent. They performed extensively in and around Toronto, gained a new following, and not long after, began recording the long awaited debut album. But they would be disrupted again, this time for the better. In 2009, John disbanded Anuryzm to return to his childhood city of Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Shortly after settling in, he stumbled onto a unique opportunity to work with renowned drummer Martin Lopez (Soen, ex-Opeth). Together, they immediately set the wheels in motion to finally record the debut album. In 2010, as Martin was preparing to record his drum parts in Sweden, John was on the hunt for musicians and called on his old high-school band mate and vocalist, Nadeem Bibby. Together, they sought help from fusion bassist Rami Lakkis and guest synth player Uri Dijk (Textures) before entering the studio. Recording finally got underway and the long-awaited debut album ‘Worm’s Eye View’ was released through Melodic Revolution Records in the autumn of 2011, receiving critical acclaim. The band was now anxious to deliver its music in front of audiences and invited synth player Jay Jahed and other sessionists into the line-up. This phase saw Anuryzm on many live stages, performing in local bars, festivals, and arenas supporting prominent acts such as Avenged Sevenfold, Yngwie Malmsteen, Scorpions, Nightwish, Epica, Dark Tranquillity, Myrath, and others. By 2014, Anuryzm had established itself as a prominent force of progressive metal in the region and was now ready to return to the studio to record the follow-up to ‘Worm’s Eye View’. But a few opportunities arose that demanded the band’s attention. Firstly, Anuryzm was invited by Black Sabbath to perform at the iconic Du Arena, in Abu Dhabi, for a one-off show. Also, later that year, Anuryzm was invited to Turkey, to perform at a festival headlined by Orphaned Land. After completing their duties, the band returned home and entered the studio, enlisting the help of guest musicians Michael Lepond (Symphony X), Uri Dijk (Textures), Charlie Zeleny (Blotted Science), and composer Christopher Chaplin, to record their next magnum opus. And in the summer of 2015, the progressive metal album ‘All Is Not for All’ was released through Melodic Revolution Records. After receiving positive reviews, the band sought to expand its listener-base by arranging a small tour in Europe. The following year, the ‘Awakening the Humanoids’ tour took place in cities across Germany, Holland, and Belgium. By 2017, the second record’s cycle run proved hectic so Anuryzm decided to slow down, only choosing to perform at select events. Those included important festivals in Lebanon and Romania, as well as a support-act slot with Sceptic Flesh in Dubai. But by the end of 2018, the band decided to part ways with most of its members and go into hibernation to write new music. John, Jay, and Nadeem, the remnants of the band, were soon on the look-out for talent and brought in Simen Sandness on drums, and former friend & band-mate Rami Lakkis back on bass. In early 2019, the band faced a setback when Nadeem announced he would leave the country to return to his native U.K. but would still continue to handle vocal duties on the album. The new line-up pushed ahead and recorded its first single titled ‘Etheride’. But soon after, Nadeem would fully exit the band due to differences in artistic direction. And after an exhaustive search to find a new vocalist, John eventually turned to Will Patterson, his old band-mate from Toronto, and invited him on board. Now, with a full studio line-up in place again, Anuryzm is back to work on its much-anticipated third record, slated for release in 2021.

Dubai, AE