ANA

ANA are a female fronted symphonic metal band, formed January 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. The band consists of Anna Khristenko (Vocals), Josh Mak (Guitar), Cody Lamb (Bass), Cleveland Beckford Gonzalez (Drums), and Mark Shi (Keys). Their musical style is an eclectic blend of various genres and influences, culminating together in an experience that is suspenseful, mysterious, soulful, and rocking. Their songs are personal. Their songs are ours.

Anna Khristenko was born in a small village near the Caucasus, and she comes from a classical background in opera. In college, she mastered elaborate singing techniques and spent many years performing throughout South East Asia. In the studio, she currently delivers her vocal with the precision of a beautiful assassin, often able to design perfect takes that include complicated runs and delicate embellishments. The irony is that the final product architects for the listener a gorgeous emotional landscape, happily united with Anna’s striking technical execution.

Josh Mak was the frontman and primary songwriter for the hard rock band Cynation, winning multiple awards, most notably the 2020 Best Music Video at the International Film Makers Festival of New York. Currently, he plays with Ormsby guitars, a Friedman BEOD pedal, a Bogner Uberschall head and cab, and just a splash of reverb and delay. ANA’s sweet heaviness is created not only by Josh’s guitar sounds, but his choice to have the bass and drums more forward than the rhythm guitars in the mix.

Cleveland Beckford Gonzalez was the founding member, drummer, and songwriter for the Panamanian Metalcore band, Watch Me Face It, and when he joined ANA, he immediately demonstrated his fundamental understanding of the importance of a groove, plus the machine-gun efficiency of militaristic snare runs and rapid-fire hummingbird sixteenths that would yield stylistic perfection and rhythmic, aesthetic coloring.

Cody Lamb is bringing a solid and dynamic low end to the band’s powerful sound. His playing style blends precision with energy, contributing to ANA’s signature symphonic metal presence. He is an endorsed artist with Rockboard by Warwick, highlighting his professional recognition in the industry. His stage presence and musicianship add depth to ANA’s live performances, making him an integral part of the band’s sound both in the studio and on tour.

Based in Singapore, Mark Shi has been working in the music industry for many years as a songwriter, arranger, producer, performing artist and music video director. A classically trained pianist from the tender age of 3, Mark began his career as a songwriter for Mandopop artistes from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong and his native Singapore. Mark went on to also become an arranger and producer, performing and working on tracks on several chart-topping albums for Mandopop artistes such as A-Lin and Amber Guo. In 2019, Mark co-founded Rogue Atom Productions, an indie production company specializing in music and music video productions. The music video for “Reboot”, which Mark directed and edited, went on to win numerous awards in film festivals around the world including London, California, Rome and Paris.

ANA have also broken new artistic ground by releasing their own official comic book that features all members of the band. It is a product of Cynation Comics, titled, ANA, featuring a facial closeup of the enticing Goddess ANA, and her four masked super-humans, who are members of the band, standing in miniature upon her outstretched palms. The storyline is universally appealing, as the ANA character is a spellbinding deity from an unknown place, sent to earth to free us of mind-numbing routines. The captivating settings stretch far and wide, starting in Tokyo, then shooting off to Egypt, Brazil, and an unexplored frozen corner of the world even climate change couldn’t make warmer. Frankly, the magazine is enchanting. It could even be suggested that the ANA experience is complete when one gets a hold of every mag in the series and reads it while listening to the heart-stopping music!

In October of 2023 ANA inked a worldwide deal with Eclipse Records to release their debut 5-track EP, The Art of Letting Go. The record was mixed by Chris Themelco of Melbourne based Monolith Studios and mastered by industry legend, Thomas “Plec” Johansson of the multi-Grammy, Platinum and Gold award winning studio, The PanicRoom. The band also released music videos for the songs “Moth“, “Ouroboros“, and “Scars“. In all, ANA is a multi-sensory experience on both technical and emotive grounds, breaking hearts and breaking rules, so don’t worry about coloring outside the lines. The band’s got it covered. The band has already re-set the borders.

The Art of Letting Go was released by Eclipse Records on March 29, 2024.