Sianvar - Sianvar
ARTIST........: Sianvar
TITLE.........: Sianvar
LABEL.........: Blue Swan Records
URL...........: http://sianvar.bandcamp.com
GENRE.........: Rock / Emocore / Indie
QUALITY:......: 278 kbps avg/ 44100Hz / Joint Stereo
RIP DATE......: 2015-01-08
RELEASE DATE..: 2014-01-05
Tracklist:
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01. Chest Pressure 4:04
02. Sick Machine 3:39
03. Your Tongue Ties 5:12
04. Virtual Vain 4:39
05. Substance Sequence 4:17
Total 21:51
Release Notes:
Donovan Melero - Vocals
Will Swan - Guitar
Sergio Medina - Guitar
Joseph Arrington - Drums
www.facebook.com/Sianvar
_____
"Can we really handle a world where we have music coming from A Lot Like Birds,
Dance Gavin Dance, Secret Band and Sianvar? My head hurts just trying to think
about whoÆs in what band right now. The last twelve months though, these bands
have been dominating the music scene, and Sianvar have stepped up to prove they
have a place in the scene as well.
When members of Dance Gavin Dance, Stolas, A Lot Like Birds and Hail The Sun
announced they would be starting a band, people went a little crazy. This was
for good reason, of course, as all of these bands pretty much kick ass. Shortly
after, they announced they were working on an EP, which would be released at a
future time. Well that time has come, and we finally have the entire EP in our
hands.
The first thing that may come to mind before playing this EP is concern. Are
these guys going to sound exactly like ALLB, DGD or SB? Considering some of the
members are currently in or were once in those three groups thatÆs totally a
reasonable thought. I felt that way going in, but after I heard their single
ôSick Machine,ö my mind was quickly changed.
Though the bandÆs vocalist, Donovan Melero, has never been in Dance Gavin Dance,
his voice is easily comparable to the level of skill they, or their associated
acts, display. Will Swan has a distinct style as a guitarist, and Donavan has no
issue keeping up with and complimenting the intricate guitar parts. There are
times where they even sound like The Fall Of Troy, which is another reason
altogether to enjoy them.
When there arenÆt a lot of songs to choose from, I always have a difficult time
picking a favorite. It took a few run-throughs for me to decide that ôSick
Machineö was indeed, my favorite track. This track, more than the others,
reminds me of the The Fall Of Troy. They utilize some unclean vocals a few times
throughout the song, and the guitar parts alone are worthy of mention. That can
be said about all of the tracks though.
What I like the most about Sianvar is the fact that they rely almost entirely on
clean vocals. Their associated acts donÆt all necessarily follow that same
formula, and thatÆs what sets this specific group apart. My only complaint is
that this EP doesnÆt have enough songs to listen to. Five songs is only a small
taste of what they are capable of, and I sincerely hope we hear more from this
band in the near future." 10/10
http://www.underthegunreview.net/2014/01/09/review-sianvar-sianvar-ep/
_____
"Trying to ignore the parts of the whole would be tantamount to doing a
disservice to the highly talented conglomeration that is Sianvar. Indeed, the
parts of the whole are seemingly of vast importance; Sianvar is a post-hardcore
band comprised of (disputably) the most talented active musicians in the current
post-hardcore scene, and as such it can understandably be victim to high-flying
expectations. Name-dropping aside, Sianvar's roster is assuredly very solid.
After all, with vocal talent from Hail the Sun, guitars from Stolas and Dance
Gavin Dance, and percussion/bass duties from A Lot Like Birds, what are
listeners supposed to expect except more top-notch post-hardcore?
Therein lies the problem; each of the aforementioned bands have already
established themselves as frontrunners in the modern scene, and they all work
roughly in a style that's similar to the next man in line. It wouldn't be
unreasonable to expect Sianvar to sound pretty damn close to any of the bands
that contributed members to this supergroup, and fittingly enough they truly do
sound like a mix of their contemporaries. To the credit of the members'
musicianship, they have managed to create something cohesive and enjoyable; take
the band out of context, and what you have is a solid, but not overly impressive
chunk of experimental post-hardcore. Sianvar's overarching issue is how
homogenized the sound is. As catchy the hooks can be, as powerful the vocal
performance is, as excellent as Will Swan's very technical riffing can be, the
whole thing has a very frustrating tendency to bleed together. Perhaps it's due
to the sonic assault of every member eagerly demonstrating their technical
chops, or perhaps it's due to the production (which is perfect, by the way), but
Sianvar's EP doesn't do much other than serve as an interesting addition to the
collective discographies of the band members; there's not enough substance on
here to sustain anything more than a five-song EP. It will not stand the test of
time." 3.0 good http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/60415/Sianvar-Sianvar/
_____
"ItÆs obvious to expect that being from all pretty similar-sounding bands,
SianvarÆs style is simply a union of all of them. However whilst that is
basically the case, itÆs not a jab at them. In fact itÆs the opposite. æYour
Tongue TiesÆ is a great example of how the merging of these individuals and
their talents in this field is a wonderful thing. The track is hugely melodic
(probably the most accessible on the EP), fun, innovative and exciting to listen
to. They comfortably veer it from upbeat and ôhappyö in the beginning with a
sweet refrain melody (ôIntriguing one; all this talk's no fun. A verbal
operation, dramatic conversation holding me down!ö) to dark and discordant with
ominous chords and varying changes of time signature before reverting back again
to finish the track. And thereÆs yet more displays of technical virtuosity with
æVirtual VainÆ; both guitarists standing out by far with the astounding
intricacy and preciseness of their delivery.
Sounding very much like Circa SurviveÆs Anthony Green here, Melero also shines
as he balances a passionate and ear-piercing performance with a tenderer recital
in the last couple of minutes. Plus the lyrics about our ever-increasing anxiety
and obsession with our virtual lives are just brilliant û ôHashtags to search
what you care about. Filter: everything just looks so boring without. Posting
your diet like we want to see. Outfits can show just what we care about. Makeup:
everyone just looks so boring without. Posting you party to prove that you're
fun.ö Final track æSubstance SequenceÆ is probably my favourite; a touch more
subtle, slower and more grounded in alt-rock than its extreme and hasty hardcore
siblings. ItÆs shadowy and a little threatening which I like, and when a tirade
of big and hard-hitting choruses launch, it really takes off - ôDark evil ocean,
I'm craving more. Good intuition left at the shore. Drift with my brother,
fishing for more. Dark evil ocean, keep us from shore.ö
Sianvar are a supergroup with super being the operative word. Combining all the
elements that I love from their primary projects, their debut five-track EP is
spectacularly weird, inventive and clever. I hope that they come over to the UK,
which I guess is more likely to happen as part of a tour with their other bands
as they are doing in the US right now (with A Lot Like Birds and Stolas on The
Substance Sequence Tour). TheyÆre just one of many great new bands IÆve had the
pleasure of discovering this year and I really look forward to an equally great,
or who knows, even better full-length release later on. "
http://hangout.altsounds.com/reviews/164151-review-sianvar-sianvar-ep.html