### Naisian: Mammalian

#### 14/03/11 || Altmer

Neurosis loves you. This might be a good thing since if you are a post-metal addict: this album is your cup of cumcake. It doesn’t really do anything different than copy some Neurosis bits mostly, and play some atmospheric “humdidum” things midway through songs, but you know by what I’m surprised the most? The album’s solidity. There was someone behind this record who knew how to write a few good riffs, arrange everything tastefully and then walk away saying “Fuck you, simple is good”. Man, that’s been a long time coming. So many bands sound like something else that it feels good to have a new band copy other bands and do it with style.

The guitars sludge their way through the record. Do you know that Neurosis sound? The one where it feels like your feet are sinking through the floor? That’s their guitar tone. Old HC guitars, but slower, just like we all love them. Pretty rocking drums, just like there should be for this type of music. The vocals sound like typical post-metal vocals: hardcore barking. They don’t deviate from the norm mostly, although there’s a nice little jazzy bit at the beginning of the third song that nicely transforms into a riff behemoth. Just goes to show you can take the same approach with a different sounding riff and get a good result.

For a young band, these guys are pretty interesting. I don’t think there’s anything particularly special about this record; it’s all been done before by someone who was a lot more original and added a lot more tricks to their sound, but these guys throw in just enough different things for it to work (the bass solo on the third song is pretty fucking ridiculous, by the way! Ace work by whoever did that bit). A surprise, a good post-metal record by a band who know what the hell they are doing and can get the desired results without being retarded.

Recommendation: Add a few more spices to make it more original. You’ve been playing it quite safe, even though the execution is neat.

- Information
- Released: 2011
- Label: self-released
- Website: Naisian MySpace
- Band
- Adam Zejma: guitars, vocals, vocoder
- James Borrowdale: guitars, vocals, vocoder
- Michael Aitken: Bass, vocals
- Jordan Garlick: Drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Fletcher-Munson
- 02. Bellicist
- 03. Take Me To The Mountain Dew Mountain
- 04. Mammalian
- 05. I Am Eustache Dauger