Antigama/Nyia

Poland has produced some of the world's best grindcore. Thus, it's exciting to see two of the country's most forward-thinking bands share a split. Nyia's 2004 debut, Head Held High, had prog tendencies but was rooted in grindcore. Three years later, Nyia have ditched most, if not all, traces of grindcore. In fact, they've essentially become a Meshuggah clone, from the steely odd meters to the spacy, Fredrik Thordendal-esque solo in "Of Those." The execution is perfect, and the melodic vocals recall Burton C. Bell in a higher register. However, the complete lack of originality is disappointing. Antigama, on the other hand, continue on the fiercely individualistic path of their 2007 full-length, Resonance. The production is rougher here, but otherwise the elements are similar: strange guitar scrapings, whimsical percussion, jazzy touches (including a track consisting of walking bass and psychedelic noises). The violent syncopations of "Beyond Me" evoke Brutal Truth's experimental side; the track ends with thrillingly bizarre chanting. Colorful percussion (think of a Scooby Doo cartoon) ripples throughout "Nature" and "Adv." Antigama's contributions here end all too soon; futurism is about the journey, not the destination. ~ Cosmo Lee|