REVIEW: Sianvar – ‘Sianvar’ EP

January 9th, 2014

Kriston McConnell

Artist: Sianvar
Album: Sianvar EP
Genre: Post hardcore
Label: None

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 who’s 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 that’s totally a reasonable thought. I felt that way going in, but after I heard their single “Sick Machine,” my mind was quickly changed.

Though the band’s 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 aren’t 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 “Sick Machine” 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 don’t all necessarily follow that same formula, and that’s what sets this specific group apart. My only complaint is that this EP doesn’t 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.

SCORE: 10/10
Review written by Kriston McConnell