Rainburn – Canvas Of Silence

18th October 2014 0 By Suzie Rottencrotch

There is some incredible progressive rock coming out of India right now. Mumbai based Coshish and Symphony Novel have both been going from strength to strength, and now we have the debut EP from Bangalore based Rainburn.

Rainburn describe themselves as an Indo-progressive rock band – combining progressive rock with elements drawn from Indian music. The band have been together since 2011, and since then have been refining their sound and building up a following with their engaging live performances.

Opening track, ‘Refuge‘ sets the tone nicely, with some impressive guitar work, a catchy chorus, and vocals that compliment the music perfectly. It’s a mainly melodic number, with some more aggressive moments that nicely mix things up a bit.

‘Canvas Of Silence‘ starts with a distinctly funky sound, before the lead guitars fully kick in and step things up a gear. The musicianship is all first class, with everyone given a chance to show what they can do but playing together smoothly as a single unit. The track also gives Vats Iyengar a chance to show what a versatile and talented vocalist he is.

‘Veil‘ has darker and more Indian edge to it. It’s a haunting number that for the most part is slower than the previous two tracks, but that perfectly fits in with the overall sound of the album. And the parts of the song where things get faster and heavier are a fantastic contrast to the rest of the track. I would love to see this one played live!

‘Time Turns Around‘ is a gentle love song, with crooning vocals and some mellow guitar work. It’s nicely done and offers something a little different from the other 4 tracks on the EP, while still retaining the unique Rainburn sound.

Final track ‘Fragments‘ manages to combine an almost jazz-like style with more aggressive guitars and some catchy riffs that I cannot get out of my head! And again Vats Iyengar‘s singing is awe inspiring, sounding in places like an early Geoff Tate.

With Canvas Of Silence, Rainburn have created an impressive EP, and I will be following the future of the band with real interest. If you’re a fan of progressive rock then this is definitely worth checking out !

Score: 8.5 out of 10