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SHIRAN
Warm Winter Day EP

Self-released (2014)
Rating: 5/10

Warm Winter Day is the title of the new five-track EP from progressive metallers Shiran, who hail from Israel. After a few spins, I have to say that while I appreciate the experimentation, the overall feel is that of an album that comes across as too weak.

The band is fronted by Shiran Avayou, a more than competent female vocalist who has a rather commercial style to her vocals. This gives the EP a rather harmless tone as it flirts with a pop-edged style of rock which is littered with sprigs of crunchy guitar supplied by Elram Boxer, whom is probably better known for his work with death metallers Ferium. Even so, as the EP kicks off with ‘Remain’ it’s clear that Shiran is all about clean-cut melodic rock, experimenting with darker-edged Gothic rock that sits well alongside rockier segments that are contemporary by design.

Shiran wouldn’t be out of place in the American rock charts, such is their accessibility; in spite of the tendency to dabble with a few other styles in subtle fashion, this is very much commercial rock featuring inoffensive soaring vocals which for me don’t quite hit the mark in the attitude and aggression stakes. Nonetheless, it’s all nice on the ears throughout.

The title track is a steady plodder, but the vocals seem to struggle on this one. With a bit of work, Avayou could certainly evolve into an impressive vocalist, but maybe it’s just me not sitting comfortable with that tepid female vocal amidst equally sterile musicianship.

The press release for this opus mentions the band’s blues and jazz influences, but so hidden are they beneath the grating Americanised pop rock that it all soon begins to cause some discord within the ranks. Okay, so I’m mildly impressed by the more jarring nuances of the title track’s later passages where the entire posse ups the ante to create a juddering segment of play, but it’s the sort of angst that is all too fleeting.

With ‘The Child’, Avayou finally grabs the EP by the balls; her vocals display extra oomph, which are complemented by the heavier, rumbling guitar tones. There is a nice air of complexity here too as the vocals cavort with that uneven grind, but these guys need to decide what they want to be. As a teenage friendly pop rock act they may succeed, but I’d much prefer them as a brooding hard rock band with propensity to inject high octane doses of the metallic. As it stands though, Warm Winter Day kind of rumbles at one pace, evoking Gothic imagery but rarely stepping out beyond its comfort zone.

‘Glint Of Light’ and ‘Burden’s Off’ are a tad better than average but both follow similar paths, the latter opting for a more passionate and doomier guitar churn. However, as Avayou emotionally wails away like some forlorn banshee, I’m just left feeling a tad bereft and overcome with metallic depression even as the EP reaches its stormier finale.

I’m unsure if I could stand a whole album of this due to its lack of passion and variety, but if you like rather sullen modern hard rock then this rather rainy opus could well be for you.

Neil Arnold

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