Naryan

Hello once again fellow progheads and welcome back to the Closet Concert Arena.  Autumn continues her trek across the calendar this week as the search for all things prog travels to Finland to see how others handle the changing seasons.  With relatively similar temperatures in both locales, now seems as good a time as any to find out what the far reaches of the prog garden are producing.

 Naryan, a band originating in Tampere, Finland, has released two albums on the Progressive Gears label.  Their eponymous first album came out in 2013, and their follow-up "Black Letters" hit the streets in January 2016.  The band describes their sound as "melancholic" and "atmospheric" which leaves a lot to the imagination.  Images of an ornate stage draped in black crepe and lace complete with glowing candelabras fills the mind...so straight to the buffet for what promises to be a sumptuous extravaganza as I get this review started...

With two albums being served up this week, I will play along logically and start with the first release;  cuing up "Ungettable."  As the song peels back the curtain you feel as though you are ocean-side watching a piano recital, the tide lapping at the pedals while the mood begins to slowly build...and then the crescendo erupts as the remaining players emerge on the surf.  Naryan comes straight at you with raw emotion dripping from every note...

Naryan emits top notes of Anathema and Porcupine Tree on this tune...a mesmerizing piece that bounces around the inner workings of your head like a frenzy of pellets in a Pachinko machine...

Next up from the same album is a more complex cut, "Never Give Up."  Naryan once again goes straight for the heart strings as passion pores out like nectar from a honeycomb, sticking to everything in its path.  Vocals start to pour forth as the tendrils of a flute flirt with gentle guitar work laying a path that gets a bit rocky while the tempo begins to pick up the pace.  Once you're inside the labyrinth the walls begin to close in; you feel pressure from all sides...and "Never Give Up" becomes a mantra that leads you through the eye of the storm.

Moving across the aisle to Naryan's second release, I immediately immerse myself in the title cut, "Black Letters."  Tommi Niemi's vocals are deep and dark as they waltz across some intricate violin work.  Once again Naryan takes you down a gentle path only to toss you into an abyss and watch you fall--but the landing is "almost-soft;" as though  you were thrust onto a pile of floor exercise mats.

Liner Notes...as I mentioned above, Naryan hails from Tempere, Finland and is  a member of the Progressive Gears family of prog artists. The band consists of the aforementioned Tommi Niemi on vocals, Lauri Kovero and Raino Ketola on guitars, Eveliina Sydanlahde on bass, flute, keyboards,and backing vocals, Nona Onnela on violin, and Tommi Tanhuanpaa on drums.

Started in 2009 by Lauri as an instrumental project, Naryan has gone through several line up changes and additions. Couple that with a maturation  in regard to arranging, writing, and performing, and the result is an amazing version of Naryan confidently leaping through my headphones today.  Working with the Progressive Gears team sets the expectations bar high as the bands builds its album library...

Staying with the "Black Letters" album, I serve up a platter of "764."  Clever guitar work introduces the cut as top notes of Anathema once again waft through the air.  Dark colors start to run down the canvas, streaking randomly while an ominous cloud settles over the mood.  Eveliina's piano saunters off toward the Radiohead section of the garden--and suddenly the bottom falls out as you tumble toward chaos a la Katatonia...only to land safely once again in the warm embrace of Eveliina and her keyboards.

You can purchase both of these albums at Naryan bandcamp and Progressive Gears.  Social media provides several options for connecting with and learning about the band; their website, Naryan,
Facebook, Naryan FB, and Twitter @Naryanband.  Naryan also has a YouTube channel
Naryan YT so you can experience the music for yourself before making that ever important purchase...

To entice you into increasing your music collection, I chose "Sad to Listen."  This is a bonus clip of sorts as it is not found on either of their albums...you're welcome...🎶  Naryan enjoys toying with the listener; the gentle opening lures you in like a siren call until the clouds roll back, dark skies open, and Naryan rains down with emotions that bleed like an open wound.  The violin tears right through you like a fine-edged scalpel, the drums hit you with a steady thump, and the bass keeps everyone's pulse on an even keel.  The aromatics you detect have a Metallica hue, with perhaps a twinge of
Porcupine Tree making the air heavier still...

Naryan hits hard, heavy, and fast.  There is a Jekyll and Hyde feel to the music as they start out of the gate with a genteel air--only to drop the facade and deliver a wallop to your emotions that pushes the envelope.  Naryan doesn't blast you like Opeth; they prefer the slow, deliberate crawl inside your mind so as to seep into your subconscious...bursting out like a great white attack...and then slinking back to reload...

Naryan straddles different sections of the prog garden; drawing from the melodic and blending it with metal that isn't too sharp or piercing and tying it together with the gentle strings of a violin.  Naryan brings you a full basket of fervor to accompany you on your journey...

And as quickly as it began, the week draws to a close.  Naryan is a dark jewel sparkling in the shadows of the prog garden. Not to worry--the Concert Closet is on a mission to search those shadows and unearth more prog that hits with absolute sincerity.  The journey continues...until next time...