Given the stranglehold Scandinavia has on epic melodeath, it’s peculiar when those from further afieldTexans Hinayana exemplify this idiosyncrasy, with evoking images of the forests, fjords and folklore from far beyond the Lone Star State’s borders. The doom-tinged melancholy of opener and live up to the calibre of Insomnium’s iconic with the soaring leads and subtle melodies conjured by Casey Hurd and Erik Shtaygrud making their mark. But while Hinayana prove they can deliver the windswept heroism, jaunty riffs and unsettling keys see the latter half of the album exploring more discordant paths.
