It's been a little bit over a year since SAnitY debuted on NXT, and in the time since, they've been one of the more enjoyable acts down at Full Sail.
Much of it is because of their character work—something the group has nailed down pat and improved on as they've gone along. Eric Young, Alexander Wolfe, Nikki Cross, and
Their entrance theme was one of the first layers to the characters we were introduced to; and it rightfully set the tone for what type of characters EY and his band of anarchists were going to be. "Controlled Chaos" starts off with the sound of a chopper, along with the sound of radio comms—much like that of The Shield's theme. The difference is that SAnitY's sounds like there are cops or soldiers going after the group as they are on the loose, whereas The Shield's just sounds like they're radioing each other.
Then the guitars come in, first imitating the sound of a chopper, and then coming down hard with some heavy riffs and percussions as the theme's main loop begins. You've got a slow downbeat accompanying an erratic song, with so many elements all coming together, including the main bass riff and a guitar being shredded in the background—which sounds like it could be the theme for when you're in the underground levels of Super Mario Bros. If you listen hard enough, you also have this ethereal sound being added in as an extra layer, which could very well be the aural equivalent of the smoke machine SAnitY gets when they enter the arena.
What closes (and opens) every loop is a deep, sinister laughter, which reminds you of what these guys are. They're got a few screws loose, they're willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, and they give zero fucks about it. It's the perfect theme for anyone who really wants to go all in on the unhinged gimmick and makes Dean Ambrose's sound like such a jabroni theme by comparison.
Surprisingly, CFO$ released two remixes to the main SAnitY theme last June. They first released the Killian Dain remix, entitled "Beast of Belfast."
Unlike "Controlled Chaos," Dain's theme starts with a huge drop, and then you hear a button accordion playing what sounds like an Irish traditional tune. And then it gets distorted until the main theme kicks in. You get much of the same drum patterns of "Controlled Chaos," but with the tempo driven up by a little bit.
The riffs and chords on "Beast of Belfast" are also much higher compared to the bass-heavy feel of the original SAnitY theme. If you thought "Controlled Chaos" was anarchy expressed through music, then "Beast of Belfast" is bedlam in its aural form. You have even more elements clashing from the drums, to the guitars and the bass (which seem to pull you into a vortex of crazy), to the synth keys that seem to represent the many voices in Dain's subconscious. And then, you have the same ethereal sound as an added layer that I pointed out in the OG SAnitY theme.
Like all CFO$ themes, this is also a loop. And in this case, each loop begins and ends with the same hook we got at the beginning—a drop, the sinister laughter from "Controlled Chaos," and the button accordion. "Beast of Belfast" is a beautiful mess and something I'd totally listen to when I attempt to set a new PR on my squats.
Now, let's get to the second remix of SAnitY's theme, which belongs to one Nikki Cross:
Between Dain's and Cross' themes, "Glasgow Cross" is the one that sounds more like its predecessor. A lot of the elements from the original remain, just touched up, unlike Dain's theme, which could pass off as a different theme all on its own if you aren't paying attention.
What sets Nikki's theme apart are the vocals, first and foremost. You can hear her panting and screaming in between loops, as if you can imagine her initially going crazy and turning into the spitfire we all know and love today.
"Glasgow Cross" actually sounds most like a theme song for a video game boss battle because of the synths used in the loop. There are less guitars and bass, more synths and scratches on this one—to the point that it gives off an 8-bit feel. The chords are the same as "Controlled Chaos" though, so you can't mistake it as belonging to anyone outside SAnitY.
Overall, it sounds both maniacal and kooky at the same time, if that even makes sense. Then again, I think I'm starting to go all in on the anarchy and crazy. I should stop listening to these songs now.
What do you think of the SAnitY series of entrance themes? Which version do you like the most? Let us know in the comments section below!
Photo from WWE
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Stan Sy (@_StanSy) is the Editor at Large of Smark Henry, and is also a radio DJ on Wave 89.1, an events host, a freelance writer, and one of the hosts of the Smark Gilas-Pilipinas Podcast. He also used to be one of the hosts and writers of The Wrestling Gods on FOX. He enjoys watching WWE, NXT, Lucha Underground, and the occasional New Japan match. You can ask him questions about wrestling, Survivor (yes, the reality show), or whatever you like on his CuriousCat account.
