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Current mood:  blessed Category: Music
EP Review/ Fazer Magazine
Independent Align is a threesome out of Israel consisting of Yael Akron (vocals), Tal Vaisman (guitar, vocals) and Maayan “Banana” Henik (drums). Naturally I’m curious as to how he got the nickname ‘Banana’ … being the joker of the band though I wonder if it was a self imposed moniker. This 5-song EP is not the band’s first release; however, it is their first release under the name ‘Align’. Formerly a 5-piece, they previously recorded a CD as ‘Manga’, a fairly successful electric Hebrew rock group that had played in some of Tel Aviv’s most popular venues. What captures me right from the first track “Faint Memory” is Yael’s voice. Her angelic, crystal clear vocals contrast beautifully against the angry guitar and drums. Tal takes the lead with vocals on “Vigour” and the level of aggression is definitely kicked up a notch. He has the vocal ability to take the song from a non-threatening start to a kick your ass finish. Yael sings the chorus and harmonizes throughout the song. “Kill your Own” is more melodic than expected for a song carrying such a title. I may be way off base but I have the faint feeling this band is holding back slightly and in testing out the North American market have been a bit more timid/conservative when what they really want is to let their edgier side come out. With “Confuzed” and the intro to “Carry On”, we hear Yael again with her tender vocals leading us to believe we are about to hear a sensitive pop-y balled – her voice is very moving and makes one almost introspective. Then the heavy guitar and drums kick in and we are treated to that rock sound that they do so well. I am sure I will not be the first to compare some of the sounds of this EP to that of American rock band Evanescence albeit with a more current twist. With a name change and a focus on taking their music to the international stage, Align has managed to compose quite a noteworthy EP and I look forward to catching a live performance as they are slated to hit the shores of Western Canada in October.
12:34 PM
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