MEKA NISM – THE WAR INSIDE E.P. – INDEPENDENT

According to the EPK I am looking at, these guys were formed in 2006, but surely that can’t be correct as not only have they not yet released an album (there have various EP’s over the years), but they’re not signed either, and that definitely doesn’t make any sense at all. Frontwoman Meka is obviously a force of nature, and it is no surprise to see that they have supported bands as diverse as Mastodon, Gojira, The Offspring, Limp Bizkit, Otep and In Flames. Inspired by Metallica, Joan Jett, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Ghost, guitarist Bobby Keller describes Meka Nism’s sound as “powerful, metallic, aggressive, melodic, and in your face.”

There are times when one thinks the riffs are going to turn into some down-tuned monster, but while it is still a beast to be reckoned with they instead turn it into another direction altogether. They are incredibly melodic, incredibly diverse and dynamic, but when the time is right to put the hammer down then they will do that with some force as well. Fans of Lacuna Coil, Arch Enemy and Epica should seek these guys out. It surely can only be a small matter of time until they get picked up by a major and get the album out that they so richly deserve.

by Kev Rowland