There’s a lot of great covers out there, but it’s nearly impossible to talk about excellent covers, certainly within the alt/rock scene, without mentioning Alien Ant Farm’s rendition of the Michael Jackson classic ‘Smooth Criminal’. It packs a punch, feels super fun, and is faithful enough to the original to be recognisable but without sounding derivative. So perhaps it’s for that reason, along with the release of ‘Movies’, the first single from Alien Ant Farm’s hilariously named second album 'ANThology', that Alien Ant Farm have the sheen of a goofy band with no real chops. Yet 'ANThology' is an album that holds up comfortably, hits as heavy, and still sounds as fresh and unique 25 years after its original release.

Formed in California in 1996, the four-piece built a strong following in their local scene, and released their debut album, the cheekily named ‘Greatest Hits’ in 1999, which ultimately won Best Independent Album at the 1999 LA Music Awards. That album would be comprised largely of their two previous EPs, but would also be a testing ground for songs that would appear on later albums; both ‘S.S. Recognize’ and ‘These Days’ turn up on 2003’s ‘truANT’, and original versions of ‘Movies’ and ‘Smooth Criminal’ (tactfully named ‘Slick Thief’) on ‘ANThology’ – more on those two later. Signing to DreamWorks Records and hitting the studio in late 2000 with the legendary Jay Baumgardner, ‘ANThology’ was the result.  

Now look, hindsight is 20:20 but when selecting singles to release from an album, it’s always best to drop one that encapsulates the sound, the style, the swagger – a snapshot of the band in a three-minute musical polaroid. So perhaps, with that in mind, releasing ‘Movies’ as the first single, and ‘Smooth Criminal’ as the follow-up, painted an unfair picture. While excellent songs in their own right, neither show the depth of talent Alien Ant Farm had at their disposal at that time. So much so, frontman Dryden Mitchell came to resent ‘Smooth Criminal’ for a period, believing they were a better band than the song represented. And he’s absolutely right. 

With an incredibly distinctive voice, a deceptively deep range, and the ability to sound tender and menacing at the same time, Mitchell bounces around in styles with ease. From the soaring, heart-on-sleeve delivery during ‘Happy Death Day’ to the chaotic growled refrains of ‘Wish’, he’s dexterous enough for it to feel brutal yet sincere. 

Helped along by some genuine power from the rest of the band, the instrumentation is as layered as anything you’ll hear now. It’s been 25 years, and I’m still noticing new parts that’ve been subtly hidden from my ears, like the world’s longest game of Hide And Seek. Mike Cosgrove’s drumming feels tight but leaves gaps to allow everything to breathe (although, admittedly, there is a touch of the ‘mid 2000’s snare’ syndrome kicking around). Terry Corso’s guitar rings throughout, not necessarily with tasty riffs, but certainly with flourishes that accentuate the tone. It adds gravitas to Mitchell’s rhythm guitar, peppering it with a delicious seasoning of discordant wails and squeals.

The real secret weapon though is Tye Zamora, whose bass riffs act as a counterpoint to the main melody throughout the record, adding but never distracting. It’s a balance that’s tightrope thin, but works easily, not only adding layers of depth to the music, but showcasing the technical prowess of the musicians involved. 

From a lyrical standpoint, ‘ANThology’ as a whole touches largely on what most Alien Ant Farm records do; interpersonal relationships –  the building and breaking – with pitch-black angst, clever wordplay and the occasional pun. Although it has the potential to sound whingey, it manages to toe the line in a way that is neither repetitive nor preachy. It’s a transparent chest cavity, an art gallery that only contains framed hearts. 

One of the biggest problems a lot of musicians of the early 2000s suffered was the meteoric rise of Nu Metal and, subsequently, the meteoric fall of Nu Metal. Many, many bands were lumped into that genre despite not really fitting. Alien Ant Farm, perhaps unfairly, ended up being one of those bands, chucked in a sinking boat with no reach of the lifeboats by largely uninformed and naive media outlets who assumed the hot nu sound was a catch-all. Again, hindsight etc, but they’re far closer to the heavier end of alt/rock with a hint of post-grunge and some funk metal thrown in for good measure. 

For example, ‘Summer’ has a bouncy, dare i say, summery vibe, amongst its melancholic lyrics, while ‘Universe’ is as suffocating as standing in a smog-filled room, and third single ‘Attitude’ is underpinned by a juxtaposing funky bassline and clean, jangly guitars. While ‘Stranded’ has a dreamy, ambient core, ‘Happy Death Day’ is a straight angst-driven alt-rock tune with a bluesy undertone that doesn’t stray too far from the blueprint and is all the better for it. All this, threaded amongst some genuinely punchy alt-rock with the likes of ‘Wish’, ‘Whisper’, and an album opener that demands you restart with the volume cranked up in ‘Courage’. 

So for me personally, it’s a combination of the mis-genreing (and let’s not pretend that genres were as wide in scope as they are these days; you could throw down a bag of scrabble letters, chuck ‘metal’ or ‘rock’ on the end and claim it as a new sound) and the misstep of ‘Movies’ and ‘Smooth Criminal’ –  it buried them to an extent. They’re much more than those singles show, with far more grit, talent and prowess than they’ve been able to show. It’s been a Himalayan effort for them to overcome and, sadly, they’ve largely been left on the mountainside, their reputation kept alive purely by the recommendations (and, apparently from the soapbox) of those who appreciated ‘ANThology’ on its release.

For me, I’ve spent the best part of 24 years (fuck, I’m old) preaching to anyone who would listen (I’m really fun at parties) that Alien Ant Farm are more than a gimmick, that they’re more than just the two skippable tracks on the album, that ‘ANThology’ still stands up and can hold its head high.

That Alien Ant Farm deserves better.

ANDY JOICE