Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Mahria - s/t Cassette

I don't usually post brand new material, but this is too good not to share and I fully expect this band to blow up...so getting this album out is of the utmost importance! Warning...there is some serious love for my friends below. I don't even care. When your friends release an album this good everyone had better know about it.

Mahria has been playing shows for just about a year now and in that super short time have grown to be one of the best bands in Edmonton. The first time I saw them I wasn't immediately blown away. They felt like a band that had the potential to be great but just lacked a bit of focus. The guitars seemed all over the place washing out the vocals and the drums. At the time I felt like the most interesting parts of the band, the drums and vocals, were being left behind in the wall of noise. But then I saw them again, and again, and again...and each time it got better and better. Lealand and Mike turned down a bit, and there it was! The once noisy and heavy handed feeling guitar work was replaced by something so much more. Insanely intricate and beautiful melodies swirling around each other at break neck speed, incredible drumming and impassioned vocals.

When this band hit their stride, they REALLY hit their stride. Every show they play they play they kill. Look around the audience and you see the guitar nerds drooling to the right and left, the drummers looking astounded and amazed at Durrel's playing and everyone else in the audience staring wide eyed at the ferocious beast that Corby turns into with a mic in her hand. I don't like to make a big deal of the female presence in Mahria but it's definitely worth mentioning. Corby is legitimately one of the most confident and capable vocalists and I hope every girl who watches Mahria play is so proud and anxious to get involved in hardcore. Boys club be damned. Let's do away with that boring cliche.

This cassette kills it. An instant classic. Listen...and then listen again, and when you're done, give it another spin for good measure. Learn the lyrics and scream along! By the way, beautiful packaging done by none other than KS himself, Mr. Stebner. Snag this from Bart Records before it's out of print...won't be long.
~AB
DOWNLOAD
(from Bandcamp)