Heavy metal band Anon is impressively introducing the new generation of heavy metal music.

BG: First of all, how did Anon first get together? Did everybody get along?

ANON: Tage (vocals) and Dan (vocals) met by “battling” each other for a lead vocalist position in one of Dan’s previous bands. After the battle, they gained a respect for each other, became best friends, and found out they had mutual friends for years but never met. Most of the members of Anon grew up together. The members of Anon played in different bands that toured the same club circuits within the Tri-State area for many years. In the same one-week period, all three of our bands broke up.  Dan (vocals) and Joe (bass) started collaborating on a song and pulled the other would be members together for a “free jam / practice”.  On that same night, we wrote our first song “Bring in to Being” (currently featured on our full length CD) from front to back. At that point we knew we had something special to work with and a one of a kind chemistry that we had never experienced before.

BG: What motivated you to make the type of music that you do?

ANON: Our musical influences and lifetime experiences. We have all used music as an outlet for our emotions throughout life. Nothing’s better then listening to some earth slammin’ hardcore when you’re mad or throwing down in the pit at a concert.  Both of those safe and legal courses of action beat the pants off of sitting in a jail cell because you lost it and blew up your neighbors’ house, right? [laugh]

BG: I agree! So how would you describe your music to somebody who had never heard it before?

ANON: Hardest question in the world to answer...as it is for all original bands, we think. Heavy as hell, alternating from drastic mood swings to Hi-Energy up’s, melodic angst, and heart wrenching choruses.  

BG: What kind of message do you think people that listen to your music get?

ANON: The message is whatever YOU get from it because our music and lyrics are based on our own personal experiences and nothing else. Our songs are written on various topics; heartbreak and sorrow, being a fake, standing up for yourself, rising above the expectations of others, etc. We’ve always used music and lyrics as a path to channel our emotions and we want to keep it that way. No matter what advice “industry people” have given Anon, every member in Anon has always created music and written lyrics on their own terms - in the way that they see fit while always staying true to their roots.

BG: That's more than half the people in the music industry can say!  What did everybody do before they were in Anon?

ANON: Work their asses off!! And we still do! Some of us were manual laborers (from seal coating driveways and parking lots to pizza deliveries) and some were managers/supervisors. Some of us then chose to start our own companies in order to set our own rules and hours to provide financial support for this band. One of our members owns his own tiling company; another owns a distribution company for salon exclusive hair care products. Becoming a successful band means working your fingers to the bone to reach your goal. You need MONEY to succeed in this world, ESPECIALLY as an original band - so sitting on your ass and not working does nothing for you except make you a lazy ass failure. We love when people say “I’m working on my dream to become a rock star” while sitting in their room watching TV until they go blind. Those people aren’t working on their dreams….they’re working on being lazy bastards. Wanna be a rock star? Than you’d better start working 100 times harder than record labels do and MAYBE you’ll get noticed! You’re in the most competitive industry in the world…never forget that.

BG: Now that's what I call some crazy hard work.  What have you most enjoyed since you started Anon?

ANON: Playing with bands that we’ve looked up to for years, creating music on our own terms, watching our fan base grow by the venue, and feeling secure in the fact that people support Anon for who we are and the type of music that we are putting out – not because it’s beaten into their ears. We’ve been self-funded from day one and have brought ourselves to this level on our own with little to no help from anyone else. In the long run, that “Do it yourself” theme has really made us proud of every single one of our achievements.