“Music is moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” – Plato
From the hot and steamy state of Texas, the five men in Anova Skyway are steadily building a name for themselves. Initially earning a place among the local scene’s favorites with the release of their 2015 debut full-length, A Great and Sudden Change, the hard-working group had spent the past five years honing their craft. A forward-thinking quintet who mold poignant, poetic lyrics into Rock and Metal tracks that bear a Progressive stamp, but are perhaps best classed as Alt Metal, the band—Vocalist Garret West, Guitarists Andrew Alvarez and Mike Palacios, Bassist Cory Miles, and Drummer Michael Marksberry—are fighting tooth and nail to make Houston proud.
After the release of their debut, natural growth came as Anova Skyway began to refine their talents and improve upon their songwriting. Understandably, 2017’s sophomore release, the conceptual A Light in the Darkness, showed measurable maturity in sound. Displaying an eclectic array of cross-genre influences, there was a bluesy lilt to tracks like “Undiscovered Territory,” a sultry bite to “Fate Strikes Twice,” and a bold, show-stopping infectiousness to melodic rocker “The Machinist.”
Refusing to be pigeon-holed into any one sonic category, Anova Skyway continued to offer a plethora of influences with the blistering angst of “Subject #4 A) Denial/Anger,” before their subject came to terms with everything in “Subject #4 B) Acceptance/Grace,” and glittering guitars serenaded the listener alongside a delicate piano accompaniment. Not to be overlooked, the languid and emotional “Dysthymia” is a gem in the band’s oeuvre, and yet another example of the impressive material baked into A Light in the Darkness.
With three additional years beneath their collective belt, the quintet have evolved their sound even further and they’re ready to demand your attention. Released in April 2020, their newest single, “Diet of Worms,” constantly shifts its sound profile to show all of the myriad talents of Anova Skyway. An edgy rocker, the track builds into massive choruses dominated by West’s powerful vocals and the impressive guitar team of Alvarez and Palacios. Loosely sitting somewhere in the vein of Chevelle (“The Red”) and Breaking Benjamin (“Tourniquet”), “Diet of Worms” sees the quintet offering up everything from thick bass and vicious growls, to beautifully bluesy guitars.
Able to tour with any band from Five Finger Death Punch to Alice In Chains, Anova Skyway harness their influences and crush them into a sound that has elements of Progressive Rock/Metal and early 2000’s Rock, all while remaining fully entrenched in the edgier Alt Metal scene. In fact, with a little something for everyone who loves Rock-n-Roll, these Texans are guaranteed to do great things.
