Website: Mahavatar
The Inside Pulse:
What do you get when you combine an Israeli vocalist and a Jamaican guitarist? Why, metal, of course. Oh yeah, and they’re both female. If nothing else, Mahavatar is intriguing because of this unlikely combination. From the Sun, the Rain, the Wind, the Soil isn’t really any easily classifiable brand of metal; it’s dark like doom, melodic like power, growly like death, yet clean like symphonic. Wrap it all up in Eastern rhythms and a US metal influence, and what’s left is, well, still impossible to describe.
Positives: “Raw”. If there’s one track that exemplifies everything about this band, it’s that, and it shows them at their strongest. “The Prophecy” is equal parts doom and thrash, something they do particularly well. While the album is eclectic in every sense, they manage to create a distinct, solid sound to call their own. You won’t mistake them for anyone else.
Negatives: For all of its intrigue, From the Sun simply isn’t a memorable disc. There are so many creative ideas going on and so many unique elements that it’s hard to keep it cohesive. Yet for every creative idea, there’s an equal pedestrian counterpart, with many guitar lines following vocals and other amateur-sounding missteps in composition.
Cross-breed: Drain sth gets a nudge of girly kick-ass from Arch Enemy, and borrows a smidge from System of a Down, Katatonia, and Voivod.
Reason To Buy: If you’re curious. US metal fans will probably appreciate it more than those who prefer Scandinavian, German, or Italian metal styles.
