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Yabanci
Birth
Swiss Dark Nights
Feels like the 90’s again….
The second wave the Gothic Rock was the era of The Acolytes; legendary bands who had the ability to cause great impact, and they put under their spell to a new generation of Goths. They had the talent and the magic to continue with the legacy of those adored legends from the80’s; at the same time they wrote their own stories, and left their own inheritance.
The Birth
Unlike some newbies, Italian band Yabanci is not trying to emulate the glorious times; they REALLY have the heart and soul of those great bands from the 90’s. They are pure Gothic Rock at its best. The band started in 2011 with Valerio (The mastermind behind Swiss Dark Nights) on guitar, song writing and graphic design, Marcello is in charge of the bass guitar, Dimitri is on drums, and the band had a male singer then. With this line-up they recorded the demo “Book I” in 2011; and they did live gigs. Sometime later, they closed their first chapter for good. They turned the page, and began a new stage in their career with Laura Lady Ghost (The Ghost Effect) in the voice. With this renewed spirit; Yabanci released “Birth”, their first C.D. which is a seven track mini-album. The music of Yabanci has very classical Gothic Rock influences: it sounds like the early FOTN, combined with great guitar-driven bands from the 90’s, like Lucie Cries, Burning Gates or the latest act Voices Of Masada. The interesting thing about their sound; is the combination of all the above mentioned elements with a female voice that has a resemblance with Siouxsie Sioux. The combination is very attractive, and is a great advantage; because it gives a very distinctive touch to Yabanci’s sound. Instead of a Preacher Man, this band is fronted by a Prophet Maiden. Their lyrics are about grimoires, and ancient Salomonic Wisdom (Ars Nova) Very interesting concepts.
“Birth”is the intro, and it shows how a talented traditional band (guitar, bass, drums and voice) can create solemn sounds.”Ars Nova” emerges with the unmistakable energy of the purest Gothic Rock, is very exciting and is executed in a flawless manner. “The Covenant” has guitars very influenced by FOTN; and the combination with the female voice is fascinating. ”The Bless” is another finely crafted track: The rhythm section provides strength and dynamism, the guitar work is rich in sounds and textures, and the voice rises loud and clear. ”Fear” has an exciting Gothic-post Punk rhythm, with pounding drums and strong bass lines. Those elements fit quite well with the harmonies of the voice and the guitars. “The Absolute” has strong emotion; and the band performs with lots of passion. This record ends with: “Last Page” is a good instrumental tune recorded live.
As I said in the review of Swiss dark Nights: Yabanci is for die-hard Gothic Rock devotees. This is a very impressive and promising band. Without a doubt, ”Birth” is one of the best releases so far this year.
