If someone made me listen to Humavoid and told me to guess what country they are from, I would have Finland very low in my mind. I might not even say it. The truth is that most of the famous bands from the country of a thousand lakes have something very characteristic in their music that the quartet from Espoo is far from it.
Founded in 2013, they released their first album a year later. It was followed by an EP in 2015, a series of singles and now it’s time for their second full-length with which they aim (I imagine) to take a good place in the modern prog scene. They show their teeth from the beginning, since the album starts aggressively and puts you in its mood from the first seconds.
The music of Humavoid reminds me a lot of the fathers of the genre Meshuggah but also newer bands such as Jinjer. In other words, we are talking about fast tracks with a lot of changes in rhythm and moods, a plethora of djent riffs and groovy points, a massive rhythm section and a variety of vocals from the two remaining founding members of the band.
On the one hand the guitarist Niko Kalliojärvi with his death growls and on the other Suvimarja Halmetoja with her screams but also the clean ones which she does not use that much. Apart from that, she also contributes with keyboards and that is probably what Humavoid has to offer in relation to other bands of the genre. Well, I’m not entirely sure of this, since I am neither the biggest fan of the genre nor have I heard so many releases to have a complete opinion.
Apart from two short interludes, the keys of Halmetoja try to give an extra touch of variety to the band’s chaotic (in the good sense) sound. Perhaps there is the only resemblance to the Finnish gloom, since in some cases they have this characteristic melancholy. In addition to the above, there are some jazz influences as shown by the participation of jazz pianist Liro Rantala in one song.
In conclusion, those of you who are fans of djent and you like the crazy rhythms, the constant groove and the distinctive sound of riffs from an eight-string guitar, I think you will love it. The fact that I also liked it gives them an extra bonus, because I was never a fan of this sound.
