Jeff Sinnwell is well-versed in the Midwestern hard rock scene. He has played with members of Stone Sour and Slipknot, two bands that have gone on to mainstream success.

With his latest group Anubyss, Sinnwell is looking to put this band on the same level as the guys with whom he played years ago.

‘We are saving money to get into a studio to produce a CD,’ Sinnwell says. ‘It will probably be several months from now before we get that recorded, and then a couple of months after that before we get it mastered and mass produced for the public. That is something we are working on.’

Anubyss, named after the Egyptian god of the dead, first formed in 2003 when Sinnwell and guitarist Dave Ash decided to continue writing music together after their previous band called ‘No Such Luck’ disbanded earlier that year.

After securing the services of a drummer, Ash and Sinnwell began to search for a vocalist.

“We tried out several different singers, male and female, and came up with Sarah [Sampson],” Sinnwell ways. “She seemed to fit the bill and has been on board ever since. We went through a couple of different drummers and we ended up with Josh Jacobsen.”

“Josh and I hooked up here in Ames a few years ago,’ Sampson says. ‘We lost our drummer when I first started with Anubyss, so I called him up and said, “We need you now.”‘

The addition of Jacobsen and Sampson cemented the group, Sinnwell says. “[Josh] is probably one of the most talented drummers I have been able to play with,” he says. “Sarah has a little bit of a Janis Joplin sound to her, but she can get real heavy as well. She can put a lot of guys to shame from what I have witnessed with some other local bands. She can hit her notes, and she can hold them and get mean and nasty when she needs to. She represents a very good front person.

Sampson says she was drawn to music at the age of six, and Anubyss has proven to be a great vehicle to showcase her talent.

‘For me personally I think it”s just a great outlet to express myself and my emotions,’ Sampson says. ‘It”s the opposite of yoga; it”s very relaxing for me. What drew me to this music is the fact that it is a great release of energy and it”s fun.’

Sinnwell says he started his foray into music with an unusual instrument, the cello, which he has since quit playing.

‘I left the cello way behind me. It was more of a thing that my brother did at that age, and I wanted to try and be like my older brother,’ Sinnwell says. ‘I got into it for a couple of months, and then lost interest and put it down.’

Sinnwell says he is not likely to put down the bass anytime soon, however. He even has made plans for the future success of Anubyss, which he is hoping to see over the next five years.

‘We hope to have three or more CDs produced and more national shows getting played,’ Sinnwell says. ‘I would hope to see some label attention.’

Sampson says she also has goals for the future of the band.

‘I”d like to see us progressing with our music, learning from each other and bringing everything to the table that we have,’ Sampson says.

Regardless of what the crystal ball has in store for Anubyss, Sinnwell says he takes something with him every time he plays with the band. ‘By playing with Anubyss, it just provides a level of satisfaction for me,’ he says. ‘Playing live in front of a bunch of people who want to see you, and when you are done with the show they wanna come meet you — there is no feeling like that; it”s a rush.’