„Try to hold on tight,
Don’t lose your grip, please fight
Try to hold on tight
One day you’ll see the light”
(taken from song – „Over The Edge”)
The perspective, if necessary, is to perform in 2005. Naryan was probably formed that year. It should be added that the release of their first album took some time. Their debut album, "Naryan," was released in 2013, containing elements blending classical music with the darker authority of progressive rock. It's an accessible mix of darkness and light, beauty and ugliness, sadness and residual joy. I didn't discover this debut album until 2016, when the band's second album, "Czarne litera" (Black Letters), was released. They captivated me with their intelligent blend of sharp rock riffs with subtle and profound music performed by piano and violin. To this day, with the later combination of violin and piano, it remains a hallmark of these two pieces. Just listen to the sharp "My End Leaf" and immediately afterward, the soothing "I Promise You." Fire and water, darkness and light, power and peace. Two poles responsible for the actions of the world and people. If that's not enough, add to this list the 2020 album "The Withering" with its physical charge. The loss of a loved one, coping with longing and pain. A loaded album, located between water devices. The formal aspect of cultivating a landscape of sadness and grief requires a significant contribution of quality and size. There are instrumental pieces, strings, brass, and singers from the Tampere Opera Choir. There's momentum and musical power. Listen, for example, to the release of "The World Is Filled With Silence," made possible by the ability to connect to various musical devices. Later, the band reminded us of themselves by dropping singles from time to time: "Nuclear" (a single addressing the issue of domestic violence, also from 2024), "Enevertheless" (an incredibly subtly evolving song from 2024), and "Inner Soldier" (a single addressing the issue of freedom, also from 2024). Finally, I'm back. On March 27 this year, the last, fourth album of this group bearing a very simple title – "IV" will be released.
„This life feels so unjust
If there’s no longer us
If there’s no longer us
I told I’d turn to dust
If there’s no longer us
There’s no longer us”
(taken from song „Ramble”)
If you're fond of labels, definitions, and labels, you might read the following about the band and their latest album: "(…) Blend of beauty and darkness"; "(…) Melancholic rock from Finland with elements of crossover, metal, and symphonic music delivered by electric and organic instruments. Think Riverside meets Anathema meets Katatonia wrapped up in lush orchestration." There's undoubtedly something to these descriptions, but they don't capture the depth and essence of Naryan's music. The distinctiveness of the sounds created by the group lies rather in the skillful construction of a gradated atmosphere by employing elements of musical harmony appropriate to the message being conveyed. In their case, even dissonance is an element of harmony. Harsh, metallic sounds serve only to emphasize the dramatic nature of the lyrics and the emotional impact of the message. Silence and balance also contribute to the atmosphere of melancholy, sadness, contemplation, and… a sense of beneficial peace.
„Would it be easy to cross the border?
To have her closer, to risk it all in
If I decide to be besides her,
Can I go after what I desire”
(taken from song – „Other World”)
In fact, one could, to cut a long story short, say that all their albums are built similarly: based on an emotional balance between the different facets of the human personality, understanding the world, and creating its image. On the one hand, we have a series of tracks with sharp guitar riffs, full of a certain "dirt," while on the other, subsequent compositions open the door to a land of contemplation and reflection for the listener. And I don't mean an attempt to portray the "eternal struggle" between good and evil; rather, I'm referring to the deepest possible immersion in the "ego," in that which creates and governs human life choices. These albums are a kind of confession, touching on the darkest and brightest joys, a musical unpacking of the inner world and subjecting it to self-assessment. Finally, it's a kind of self-purification, an attempt to repair one's own problems. All in an atmosphere of extraordinary melancholy. These aren't sad albums, they're simply melancholic. Their musical message attacks all emotions and, by illustrating the dark and light sides of our world, attempts to create moments of captivating contemplation. And finally... I don't know if melancholy can be creative, or if it can bring spiritual benefit, but Naryan has perfected the art of creating it on his releases. This is melancholy for an evening of reflection, for an evening of sadness and a desire to be alone with oneself. These are albums for... well... loners.
„Thank you and goodbye
Thank you for the life
I must rise up, carry on,
But I will remember
The 6th of September”
(taken from song – „6th of September”)
When listening to Naryan's latest release, start from the end. With the most beautiful track on the album – "6th of September," which incredibly skillfully weaves a children's choir into the music. I don't know if the band has used this technique before, but I highly recommend this composition. It's the finale, and at the same time, a good starting point for this album. It's a preview of the album's immense emotional charge. Heavenly violins, staccato drums, and excruciating phrases straight from post-rock stylings. Skip to "Other World" – a beautiful ballad written for two voices and powerful guitars that disrupt the gentle atmosphere of the delicate narrative with dirty, powerful accents. "All of My Life" follows the path of bands from 4AD, thickening the atmosphere with bass drums and heading into an unknown land of sadness and lamentation. "Ramble" – with its looped main theme, draws you into a slightly trance-like atmosphere of fear, underscored by powerful guitars. "It All Comes Down to Darkness" thunders from the very first moment with rock guitars and... a very atmospheric vocal that dominates the melody. It's the vocal line that gives this composition its beauty. "Inner Soldier" sounds like a complaint, a misunderstanding of the problem of harming those in your household. It sounds like regret, anxiety, and swirling emotions that can't find an outlet. The majesty of the piano, the deep sounds of the string section, and the low-key vocals divided into male and female verses – these are the hallmarks of "Tale Full of Wonders." It's the most beautiful ballad on this album, full of underlying pain. And there are ten of these songs. Choose the one that is right for you, at this time, in this moment. Listen to the one that captures the mood of the moment.
„We are pretending we’re walking together
Pretending the brick wall between us is lesser
Pretending that even if this goes forever,
Don’t matter, it’s all the same, all the time”
(taken from song „Pretending”)
We can start from the power side. With the first track – "Pretending." With a decisive immersion into the world of this, despite everything, melancholic album. It seems to me that there are no limits. This release is material for multiple interpretations, for searching for sounds that will deliver the most desired or hated emotions at a given moment. Please ignore the order, the sequence… this is merely a starting point for creating your own image of the worlds created by the band.
„I’m sorry, messed up both oof our lives
When all of my life,
All of my life burned,
I should have let you be the water”
(taken from song „All Of My Life”)
This is the band's fourth album, recorded after a six-year hiatus. Melancholic, sad, tearful, grimy... I'll leave a few dots here, as I'm sure every listener will add their own descriptions. Tommi Niemi (vocals), Lauri Kovero (guitar), Raino Ketola (guitar), Tommy Tanhuanpaa (drums), Jarno Forsman (bass), Linda Kuoppala (keyboards), and Henriina Marin (violin) have recorded another excellent album. The number of albums that are unusual is growing... the number of songs that will make it into my personal canon of the best is growing. I try to imagine a Naryan concert, and I'm a little worried about whether they can "enchant" a room full of people, whether they could recreate that melancholic atmosphere live.
