Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Indighost The Yang Collection Company: Self Released Release: 2009 Genre: Progressive Reviewer: Maya Ahuja

Infused with lashings of ethereal passion, charm and versatility

Could this be one of my new favorite local bands? Propositioned for a review I set about listening to these rockers with haste. Indighost hailing from West London are a metal band infused with lashings of ethereal passion, charm and versatility. They are; Matt - Vocals and Guitar, James - Lead Guitar, Freddy – Bass, Martin – Drums. Formed out of the Guitar and Bass Institute and Drumtech stable, these boys blend the essence of the likes of such heavyweights as Queensryche, Megadeth and Dream Theatre (minus the keys which for me is a good thing).

So how does the EP kick off? A track called 'Burn' enters in with heavy bass and drums that remain staccato throughout; they fall into melody of cursing vocals crying out of sultry lessons learned. The guitar sound is pure and suits my old skool ear well, the clarity of every note arching out over the militant staple of the song.

'Shapeshifter' loosely wanders in from the storm, a haunting intro screaming out above a produced chorus of guitars before settling into the uncomfortable rhythmical shifting which cleverly canters along underneath soaring vocals. Stopping for a brief moment of calm the storm blows in once again over an almost jazz based theme before the metal returns to lead in the solo which would be a feast for any thrasher that is a little peckish.

'Never' is an acoustic off beat lead song that sings of yearning and loss over a moving string quartet. A surprise, this track has feeling, emotion and I can only imagine the possibilities if re-recorded in a high end studio, as for me the strings, (which are notoriously difficult to record well) are decent in their essence but lack a depth of sound and texture that perhaps would have worked better with the vocals if the arrangement had been set lower. That aside this is welcome release of mood between the other more metal driven tracks.

'They Don't Believe Me' reminisces of Queensryche's 'Operation Mindcrime' and although musically well written, the chorus perhaps could have benefited from some extra layering to add even more power to the BV's and harmonies. The dark mid-section adds infinite corners with a moving bass below that slowly dies into the chorus one more time.

The closer 'Potential' is another staccato set track that trudges its way through this metal landscape before being tripped up by the complicated syncopated percussion, weaving chromatic guitars iterating their demise into a major jazzed intricate melisma based melody that stretches its way back to the mismatch too and fro Meier that successfully seeks to be an impressive show piece for the Guitarist.

Reading from their site 'Megadeth meets Sting' for me doesn't do it; this band have far more perception to be pigeonholed anywhere in between the vast canyon that lurks between these two legends. They offer something unique in terms of many of their melodies being infused with jazz, thrash, progressive metal and classical, they are quite simply Indighost and to be watched.