HINAYANA
Shatter And Fall NAPALM
Mighty melodic death metal from an unlikely quarter
Given the stranglehold Scandinavia has on epic melodeath, it’s peculiar when those from further afield do a sterling job of both replicating and putting their stamp on it. Five years on from their debut, Order Divine, Texans Hinayana exemplify this idiosyncrasy, with Shatter And Fall evoking images of the forests, fjords and folklore from far beyond the Lone Star State’s borders. The doom-tinged melancholy of opener Slowly Light Collides and How Many Dreams live up to the calibre of Insomnium’s iconic Above The Weeping World, with the soaring leads and subtle melodies conjured by Casey Hurd and Erik Shtaygrud making their mark. But while Hinayana prove they can deliver the windswept heroism, Lost To Flame’s jaunty riffs and The Answer’s unsettling keys see the latter half of the album exploring more discordant paths.