Saturday Saints raise much-needed hell on their raucous and rousing debut disc Anhedonia — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
Standing in stark contrast to its downbeat title — the medical condition Anhedonia is the inability to enjoy experiences or activities that normally would be pleasurable — the New York rockers’ 10-track release administers an invigorating shot of pure musical adrenaline guaranteed to cure what ails you. Anchored by arena-sized riffs and energized beats, laced with anthemic choruses and soaring, soulfully smoky vocals, these massive and majestic tracks — including standouts like Inside Out, Crash, Keep Away and the title cut — fuse dark alt-rock with dashes of punk, grunge and more. From its opening salvo to its final fadeout, Anhedonia offers a 33-minute respite from the tumult and uncertainty of our contemporary dystopia, cutting through the noise with searing intensity and laser-focused precision, and blasting away your 21st-century blues with its cocktail of classic songcraft and relentless, swaggering propulsion.
That’s no accident. And it sure ain’t beginners’ luck. Although Anhedonia is Saturday Saints’ first full-length, the band — formerly Latterday Saints — aren’t some wet-behind-the-ears crew of neophytes: They’ve hard-nosed veterans who know exactly what they’re doing. The band first formed in the ’90s, and quickly gained a loyal following thanks to a fierce sonic attack refined through extensive gigging in the N.Y.C. club circuit. By the early ’00s, the band were mainstays in iconic haunts like CBGB, Mercury Lounge, Acme Underground, Arlene’s Grocery and the Hard Rock Cafe. In 2002, they were voted one of the Top Five Unsigned Bands in N.Y.C. on 102.7 WNEW’s Ron & Fez Show. The following year they recorded their signature version of Weezer‘s Tired of Sex for Cleopatra Records’ cult album A Punk Tribute to Weezer.
Saturday Saints’ influence and impact extends beyond the world of music. The band not only served as inspiration for the feature film No Alternative, but were also prominently featured on its soundtrack. The movie won Best Soundtrack at the Paris Art and Movie Awards in 2019, which propelled the band back into pop culture and got the attention of Rhyme & Reason Records. They are highlighted on the soundtrack alongside such musical luminaries as Mudhoney, Lisa Loeb, Superdrag, Moby, sElf, Failure, Sebadoh and others. The soundtrack was chosen as one of the official releases of Record Store Day 2019.
Experience Anhedonia above and below, and worship at the altar of Saturday Saints on their website, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
