Bank Myna came out of nowhere for me. I didn’t even realize I had the full album of Eimuria (courtesy of Purple Sage) when I stumbled across them on Bandcamp.
1 out of 1,000 albums hit me like this: When the experience of listening to a band for the first time makes me put everything else on hold and immerse myself. Eimuria is that kind of album, and Bank Myrna is that kind of band. The only band on the scene I can remotely compare them to is Messa. Eimuria hit me as hard as Messa’s classic, Feast for Water.
There are parallels between Bank Myna and Messa, but they end quickly once Eimuria takes hold. There’s the same sense of adventure and experimentation, and a similar mastery as musicians. But they are entirely different beasts.
The guitar work of Fabian Delmas conveys darkness and menace without relying solely on power chords. His work adds a touch of lightness to the music that increases the tension, then whacks you between the ears enough to remind you this is Doom-adjacent, at the very least. He announces himself loudly on opener, No Ocean of Thoughts, then backs off as the rest of the band creates the atmosphere.
The percussion of Constantin du Closel is exactly that: percussive. Bank Myrna abandons traditional song structure and riff-based heaviness. It requires a drummer more in the mold of Bill Bruford than Bill Ward. His deft work is apparent in the second track, The Shadowed Body. He doesn’t propel the track as much as keep it grounded with a tribal ferocity.
Bassist Daniel Machon is the root of the darkness. His sense of rhythm and dynamics is the perfect partner for Constantin. Together, they keep the music from going totally off the rails while the guitars ebb and weave over the proceedings.
Yet for all of the instrumental prowess of Bank Myna, I think of this as a vocal-centric band. Maud Harribey’s voice is clear, dead-center, and in front of the mix. What sets her apart isn’t just the power and range of her voice, but her precision and articulation. She maintains perfect pitch whether crooning or wailing, and it’s mesmerizing.
The recording is incredible. Eimuria was recorded live, and extremely well. It’s as perfect as it gets, and much respect to the producer Mathieu Gaud and the mastering by Harris Newman for capturing this highly challenging art.
Bank Myna is astounding, and Eimuria is the work of art I crave. This is a whole different kind of heavy, and it’s intoxicating! Available on April 25th.