Australian Prog-Rock sextet ANUBIS formed in 2004 by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Robert James Moulding and Keyboardist David Eaton. The band has released 5 studio albums - 2009's "230503," 2011's "A Tower of Silence," 2014's "Hitchhiking to Byzantium," 2017's "The Second Hand" and 2018's acoustic album "Different Stories." Despite being based in Sydney, the band has found considerable unlikely success in Europe's Prog-Rock underground. "Homeless" is the band's latest release and contains nine tracks.

"Reflective" opens the album. Ominous and solemn tones lead off the sound...it's dark and murky. The vocals are on the lower side of the scale. Minimal instrumentation is present. A bluesy guitar solo comes out of nowhere, and then the instruments pick up a bit. Drummer Steve Eaton does a really nice job on the kit. A key change and one in time approaches and you can get a sense of the complicated, but easy on the ears, sound they present here. The vocal harmonies towards the end wash over you in waves of melody. A grand first track!

"Entitled" is a bit shorter in length and has a rich and full sound out of the gates. I can't help but get some of Douglas Skene's (HEMINA) influence here with the way that the melodies flow. "White Ashes" is even shorter, with melodies peeking out of the grey skies like a beacon of hope. The vocal harmonies on the album are quite striking. It's a very charming song. "Home" opens with a gentle sway, and dreamy vocals. "Can we find our way back home?" he croons. The guitars keep a steady little melody in the background along with some subtle keys.

"Homeless" opens with a more positive tone and all the instruments are coming together, and a little more "oomph." It reminds me somewhat of TOTO...that sound from yesteryear that brings back some nostalgia. "The Tables have Turned" opens with an emotional guitar solo, and poignant vocals. I talked about that dreamy feeling you get from the album here, and it is fully realized here. The melodies are subtle, but they come through. "Sirens" has a simpler melody and is more straightforward than previous tracks. The emotions really come through strong in the chorus, as Robert stretches out into the upper ranges.

"In Shadows" opens with a pretty little piano melody and some melancholic tones. It could have gone either way...hope or despair...it seems that there is a little bit of both present here. Like a good OPETH song, it leaves you wondering where it actually landed. "Gone" is a fitting closing track. Even the very title suggests a natural ending to the journey. It opens up nicely with some harmonic vocals and strings and closes on a bit of a dreary note.

Overall, this was just the kind of moody album I was hoping for. Smooth, mellow songs with emotional peaks here and there to let you know that are you still alive, fighting though each day, and are OK in the end. The guys are accomplished musicians, and I can tell there was a bit of growth from the previous album. They've wandered a bit less here, and the songs are more succinct. This is very strongly crafted album that I believe will appeal to fans of Progressive music as well as some casual fans of music in general, insofar that here are some Pop music moments here which is totally fine...good music is good music, period.