Album Review: Ann my Guard – “She of the Sea and Stars”

Mar 13, 2025

Setting the Scene

After four metal albums, Ann My Guard releases a semi-acoustic album, “She of the Sea and Stars,” featuring reworked versions of previously released songs. The album offers a twist on the alternative metal sound the band is known for, with influences from a range of musical styles, including darkwave, gothic rock, and dark pop. It will be released on the 28th of March, 2025.

First Impression

The first impression of “She of the Sea and Stars” is like feeling a cold, refreshing breeze on your face while muses who escaped from myths sing Rock music infused with hymns carried from ancient legends.

Similar Sounds

If you’re into any of these artists, this album should be on your radar.

Visual Vibes

The cover art shows a woman with divine features, wearing a long blue dress, standing in the water with stars in her wide-open hands. This image reflects the album’s ethereal and powerful themes. The colors and design match the tone of the album, enhancing its mystical and otherworldly feel.

Track on Repeat

The track originally released in 2018 was perfected from start to finish in a new fashion. No need to elaborate more. Just listen and enjoy the journey!

In-depth Notes

Musical Shape

The music on “She of the Sea and Stars” is rich and full, with carefully crafted melodies that blend seamlessly throughout the album. The variety of instruments used brings different sounds and emotions to each track, making the music feel alive and dynamic. From haunting strings to the warmth of acoustic guitars, each instrument adds something unique. This rich tapestry of sounds gives familiar songs a fresh feel, making them sound new and exciting. The result is an engaging and emotionally resonant listening experience.

Vocal Performance

Eszter Anna Baumann has always been a voice we wait for, whether on soft rock or heavier metal music with her different projects. This album came to fortify her place as one of the most unique voices in heavy music, with a voice strong enough to capture the mind, and silky enough to follow the changing musical elements of the album. This album showed that Eszter Anna Baumann could have excelled in any genre, and metal fans are lucky she picked rock and metal.

Production Quality

Bringing together songs re-released from different records, each with its own unique style, is definitely a challenge. However, this was successfully handled, and the album flows seamlessly as a unified piece.

General Theme

“She of the Sea and Stars” brings myths to life across 10 tracks. The theme is reflected in the music, as the fusion of styles captures the essence of the tales, making the whole experience feel like a mystical journey.

Final Verdict

★★★★★★★★★☆

Well-crafted and mythical

Mood Meter

Intensity

Melancholy

Darkness

Joyfulness

Serenity

Energy

Perfect For…

Reading

Relaxing

Working

Driving

Relaxing in nature

Will I play it again?

Yes! Probably very soon as well. The experience is too good to live only once.

Follow the band

Official Website
Pre-order the album

About the Author

Reuel Way

Being a feminist has been normalized as an irregularity through our patriarchal society, so I'd rather be called a "decent human" than a "feminist man". I breathe Metal and Rock and have a screwed-up sense of humour.