Much like Connecticut’s Fires In The Distance, Austin, TX’s Hinayana (‘Lesser Path’ in Sanskrit) is a US based band playing an excellent  melodic doom death style that sounds like they come from Finland or some other Scandinavian shore that perfects this style of metal in their sleep.

Deep vocals, crunchy guitars, layers of somber melody and delicate swathes of keyboards render this too short, 5 song affair with utterly perfect Finnish mope and lope that compares to the likes of primarily Insomnium, Noumena, Wolfheart and such with its balance of lumbering doom metal and melodic death metal.

Founder and front man Casey Hurd, who started Hinayana as a solo project, knows what he wants Hinayana to sound like, has surrounded himself with a solid cast of newcomers that all complement Hurd’s consistently Finnish vision. The opening  title track sets the bar and tone with immediately identifiable influences delivered confidently with stirring, melancholic  riffs and just enough ambience to have a relaxing, but stern aura.

“Cold Conception” delivers more of the same, but with some Wolfheart-y blast beats and former Tengger Cavalry front man Nature Ganganbaigal adding some horsehead fiddle. “Yet Here I Wait Forever” is a throwaway instrumental interlude before “In Sacred Delusion” features Toni Toivonen from Hanging Garden on guest vocals and is more moody,  doomier track which continues for closer “Pitch Black Noise”, a classically paced, Finnish sounding, melodically despondent death/doom number.

These guys are definitely a band to watch in the US scene as they have absolutely nailed the chosen Finnish sound and I look forward to a full length album of the same polished, confident style in the hear future.

[Visit the band's website]

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