Ariya: Myopia

I simply had to look up the definition of Myopia which includes "nearsightedness, lack of foresight or discernment, narrow-mindedness."

Upon first listen to England's Ariya I was impressed with the depth of the songwriting. "Infinity Circuit" initially struck me as busy, but I immediately coached myself that a bulk of my favorite music begins in such a way and that I ought to give it a few more listens before I easily dismiss this as "busy progressive metal." I am glad I did. The synth-and-glitch opening bursts into a syncopated guitar and synth lick with layered vocals over double bass. Tempos quickly change and the piano and synth and guitar and vocals… The twists and turns eventually develop into wise compositional choices versus lego-stack song construction. I must admit, 7/4 sounds like 4/4 to me these days, but Ariya make "odd" time signatures sound very natural. The vocals are moderate; no wailing, no screaming and there's a female voice in the background as well which adds extra character.

Groove is the word to begin "Architects." Before one tires of the distorted mid-tempo rhythm, the dynamics change and a clean section begins with a chorus of voices and harmonies. More twists and turns and a return to the verse section carry us into the middle of the track.

The production isn't too loud, doesn't push the highs or lows, and is plenty warm. There has been special attention paid to the multiple keyboard sounds which adds to my appreciation of Myopia. The bass and drums are not lost under the guitar and keyboards and the right/left panning of the vocals – especially during the midsection of "Sanctuary" – is another plus.

Overall, my impression of Myopia is that Ariya would fit alongside Magna Carta or Inside Out's most popular progressive metal groups. It is hard to believe this is a debut! Visit their bandcamp website to download Myopia, it's a pay-what-you-want basis but certainly this is worth some funding.

Track Listing
1. Infinity Circuit 5:55
2. Architects 5:10
3. Of Man and Stone 6:18
4. Sanctuary 9:03
5. Rebirth 5:01
6. Hollow Moon 2:35
7. Atrophy 7:10

Added: October 29th 2013
Reviewer: Ryan Good
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 2509
Language: english

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