Always cool to find a great band hailing from your hometown. I have to feel like that album cover is a bit of a statement of the all-consuming onslaught of high-rise condos that seem to be crowding out every single aspect of uniqueness of our city. Seriously, that looks like every single corner of town.
After hearing Death of the Cosmic, I never would have pegged Hinayana as a band being based in Austin, TX. Sure, we’re a music town, but this sounds like something conjured from the frozen north of Scandinavia than the sweltering hot Hill Country of Central Texas. This is melodic death metal done in the style of Insomnium and Amorphis. It’s an epic sound these guys are going for and it has a bit of an Eastern flair to the sound. Even though this is an EP, it still carries enough heft to feel like a proper release. If we weren’t in a state of shutdown on the live music front, I would be pumped to see these guys live. I’m kind of kicking myself for not having seen them already.
4 flip flops out of 5
DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID 