naisan - Mamillian
Unsigned
United Kingdom

 Tracklist:

  1. Fletcher-Munson (5:21)
  2. Bellicist (6:00)
  3. Take me to the Mountain Dew Mountain (7:29)
  4. Mammalian (9:02)
  5. I am Eustache Dauger (11:18)

Over the past few years there have been some pretty darn swell metal acts coming from the U.K. More often than not I find myself listening to these U.K. bands more so than my most beloved Scandinavian musicians. Could this be Phase II of the British invasion? Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. Seriously though, I like it!

From the depths of the unknown and the unsigned we get the likes of naisian. Upon first listen of their debut album Mamillian, I more or less got the impression "Same old, same old", which is not entirely false. The thing is, naisian proves to us that wheel doesn’t need to be reinvented, rather it just needs more fuel to keep moving along.

Progressive, post metal/rock, sludge(ish)... naisian’s influences are obvious and many. They pump out a nice overly raw 'jam session' sound that does not necessarily impact the presentation negatively but rather illuminates the album’s charm. The lasting appeal of each track is enhanced by the variation of droning to technical guitar riffs packed with great delay, effects and changing tempos/intensity. It is also charged by the deservedly present and equally involved bass and slick pocket and groove type drumming with marvelous use of cymbals. Performance wise things are quite tight, save for the occasional, yet forgivable, odd transition.

The under-abundant use of harsh vocals are quite suiting for the style however in some of the tracks they tend become lost amongst the instruments. Although this is likely deliberate, it lessens their emotional contribution. In all honestly, I think the band could easily stand their ground as an instrumental act (think; Long Distance Calling; Earth). Their sound is interesting enough to keep the listener pleased with their cool little passages and effects that tend to only surface after several replays. In fact, I really enjoyed this aspect of the album. All of the songs tend to go off on their own journey, making each as enjoyable as the other.

Mamillian is a solid debut from a promisingly solid band. With more exposure and refinement, naisian will certainly continue to put out refreshing yet familiar music that both the band and fans have known and loved.

- Joel

Samples Website

 

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