A friend of mine recently recommended Kauan’s latest release, Sorni Nai, and since I first gave it a spin I haven’t been able to listen to anything since. Formed in 2005 and now into their sixth release, the Russian five-piece are impossible to label succinctly. Built around a progressive doom metal sound, the band have masterfully combined atmospheric, classical and post-metal influences to craft a beautiful album. Check it out below!
Whilst many bands throw in the occasional classical twist, with a dash of cellos or some symphonic keyboards, sometimes they seem like an afterthought, a failed attempt at adding a layer of grandeur to the piece. Rather than falling into this trap, Kauan lead the way in the manner they seamlessly integrate gorgeous piano melodies, viola and choirs within the metal aspects of their sound. If anything, at times it feels like these are classical songs brilliantly incorporating metal influences, and so it’s clear both such aspects of their sound have been at the forefront of the songwriting process.
A concept album, Sorni Nai is based on the Dyatlov Pass Incident, a mysterious tragedy in which nine people died whilst hiking in the Ural Mountains, with investigators clueless as to what brought such misfortune upon them. Despite the lyrics being in Finnish and Russian, the music speaks for itself and it’s clear that this is a cinematic and deeply emotional album, with its atmospheric elements wrapping the listener in an almost-soothing melancholy. To top it all off, the band is signed to Blood Music, which means you can stream/download their entire album for free, right now, on Bandcamp! So, what are you waiting for?! Go out and immerse yourself in one of the finest releases of 2015 and start following them on Facebook! You definitely won’t regret it.
-KD