Let Naisian take you on this dream-like journey.
“Naisian”, the self-titled 2008 release by prog metal band Naisian is certainly an attention grabber. The primarily instrumental EP shows a surprising maturity from the young band that caught me quite by surprise. Drummer Jordan Garlick told me “we used to play nu-metal, but after a while none of us were really into it so it didn't make sense for us to play the genre. We decided to just play what we wanted to play and not be afraid to experiment... the music scene in Sheffield is awesome as well with a really open minded vibe towards music”.
Opening track ‘Mile Upon Mile’ is a hazy track, seemingly taking you on a dream-like journey. The seamless continuation into ‘The Shore’ is very effective and not immediately apparent that a new track has commenced. Without warning the track soon takes off in a completely new and unexpected heavier direction, pushing the limits of your imagination. A heaviness suddenly falls over the music as the dream turns decidedly dark with the introduction of roaring from vocalist James Borrowdale.
Third track ‘Oppenheimer’ further pushes creative boundaries as the music gets more and more obscure, digressing from the original theme and then flirting back and forth; you barely even realise it’s happening! Final track ‘Elif’ perfectly concludes the EP, fading into nothing, leaving the listener hanging, awaiting the next big musical explosion.
Everything about this band is completely random; you can’t help but wonder what’s coming next! From the band’s innovative name, which replaced their original moniker “Dormant Reaction” to fit their new direction, to their intriguing sound effects, nothing is expected yet nothing comes as a surprise.
Prog is such an easy genre to completely mess up; after all, where there are no rules, chaos will ensue. It takes a very talented band to make something beautiful out of that chaos. Many have tried, most have failed however Naisian manage it wonderfully, making the future of prog metal look just that little bit brighter.
Naisian are due to release their debut album in the summer of 2010; let your curiosity get the better of you and check them out, you won’t regret it.
Naisian is made up of James Borrowdale and Adam Zejma on guitar and vocals, Micheal Aitken on bass and vocals, and Jordan Garlick on drums. To find out more about the band, check out their website: www.myspace.com/naisian