Danava

Many lovers of rock music often ponder what it would be like if their favorite bands had a musical orgy and pounded out a progeny of genius youth. Many of the unique acts today take several genres and smash them into a mix of sounds to create something both nostalgic and fresh. The band Danava (pronounced Duh-Uh-Va) does just this. Imagine syncing up three record players with Sabbath’s “Faires Wear Boots”, Bowie’s “Width of a Circle” and King Crimson’s “Red” and you would probably hear something similar to Danava.

Hailing from Portland, Oregan via Illinois, Danava packs a progressive rock punch to the face that is all at once disorienting and awe-inspiring. Not many acts today are trying to resurrect early 70’s prog rock the way these guys are. They take a pinch of glam rock and bring a fuzzed out mix of six minute plus anthems that sound like the glory days of Rush, Yes, and the other aforementioned groups. That being said, this drives Danava to the fringe of the mainstream where a record such as their self-titled debut gets lost.

From the first notes of “By the Mark”, you immediately are warped back to the days of LSD, free love and paranoia that were standard in the early 1970’s. With more of a British flair for the flamboyant and the epic, “By the Mark” plows through a close to eight-minute length with ferocity, fuzz and trippyness.

After the fierce thrashing laid on the listener at the end of the “By the Mark”, the spaced out Enoesque beginning of “Eyes in Disguise” will lull the listener into a false sense of security. The ambient sequencing of the synthesizers and long intro will relax the listener before launching into its guitar assault. It doesn’t get much more epic than this.

“Quiet Babies Astray in a Manger”, the shortest track at a paltry six minutes and 18 seconds still thrashes with the best of them. Floating out there is an extended version on 12” which I will be desperately looking for. The edited version starts off like a Robert Fripp Crimson track with similar guitar tones and overlapping sounds. As the track progresses into hard rock, it comes out at the end as a frantic guitar vs. bass vs. drum-off. Each instrument is a weapon to the ears as they overlap, harmonize and pick up moment.
The last two tracks, “Longdance” and “Maudie Shook” end the album with its best pace. “Longdance” sounds like a Deep Purple missing track with its fantastic guitar work. “Maudie Shook” ends the album with its most mythical stroke.

Once Danava’s self titled debut comes to a close, the listener feels overwhelmed. It harkens an age that has long been forgotten. Recently, the 80’s has been the era of music seeing the most bands emulate. Danava takes it’s musical roots from early 70’s glam and prog. Not many bands are releasing albums with 5 tracks of excess. This isn’t a bad thing as Danava accomplishes its first album with engaging tracks that rock hard and relentlessly.

by Paul Tsikitas

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Kemado Records