Neva waft their thick unique combonation of reggae, ska, metal and rap on this EP, violently slamming passive beats into submission and producing enough melodic excursions to make narcotics obsolete. The groups hybrid of influences and contrasting styles are stamped with their own imprint of sound that nurtures both sides of the psyche while taking the listener on a chaotic ride. Relaxed rastafari vibes stream through the bands dark and cloudy nu metal atmosphere breaking the heavy cadence with bass driven melodies keeping things balanced. Not easily comparable, this band incorporates an aspect of dancehall/reggae ala 311 and manipulates it with the harsh realities of the world torturing it with loud distorted elements and bursts of virulent aggression. Vocally band frontman Peacefire comes off well with a wide range that utilizes his soothing voice that spreading it effortlessly over the smoked out smooth parts with drawn out notes and off center raps that fit right in. But there's also times when he also comes out swinging with violent vocal chord blowing screams and howls that boil with rage and jagged words impaling the listener like a knife to the gut. This makes it hard to put into words just how unexpectedly his vocal tones can ignite from a sedated state to in your face verbal exorcisms that are infuriated and bitter, but either way they do tend to fit snugly in the songs. Guitars are clean and a bit unnatural with a somewhat sloppy tuning that gives a raw undertone to the Marley-esque jams and reggae chord progressions. Although the lighter parts can be a bit self indulgent, there's some strong experimentation implemented along with a gritty distortion that becomes the voice of the instrument during the expressions of anger and its sludgy growly sound chars all in its path. The focus on uncommon fretting and non technical patterns does go far into making the guitar parts more enjoyable and as such the accompanying varied use of dynamics gives the vibrance and brawn necessary to accentuate Peacefire eccentric vocals. Bass is perhaps the bands most constant and prevalent component, muddy grooves and a downtuned flair are donned as band bassist Jef plods through ragga bassline heroics and rough grooves before breaking it all down into winding riffs during the frequent fiery eruptions. Moody yet rhythmic, his contributions are quite essential in the bands flow and the persistent downtuned rumble adds positively to the mixture of sounds. Drums are on point with a piercingly tight snare that snaps violently with each hit that is backed by a booming kick drum. Lots of highhat and cymbal work gleam throughout the songs, giving the tracks a serene quality that is only heightened by the occasional rim hits and other peculiar drum techniques, which all in all create an even and varied percussive experience that isn't afraid to try different things and involve other parts of the kit, even though its very snare reliant in nature. Some turntables are tossed in for good measure, but only appear on two tracks and although they are skilled, they're a bit smothering and can dilute the stripped down characteristics of the group. There's a lot here to chew on, and the disc is quite solid from start to finish, some epic song structures are mixed with loose instrumentation that is talented and yet slack, which if anything gives an honest musical interpretation of the bands feelings. It can also work against the band though as the music they create is almost too rough around the edges and its muddy nature could turn a few fans off right from the start, still despite this, their ideas and fundamentals shine through clearly, painting an enjoyable mural of reggae meets nu metal in a dual to the death. Neva are definitely experimenting with a meshing of sounds that hasn't been fully explored yet, and boldly they charge forward doing it, showing the whole world just how its done. On originality alone this CD succeeds, but tack on the pleasant melodies and vicious power included here and you easily have an album that is a relieving escape from the bulk of mainstream crap signed to the majors out there today.
(4 / 5)