Katarzyna NINa Górnisiewicz | Detailed or mini-review submissions:
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Arkayan - Scarecrow |Arkayan, The Marsh Chapel Experiment EP, 2012| 
This quite new Australian band established in 2009 may get thrust into the limelight of the prime time progressive rock scene thanks to ear-friendly compositions which do not lack hard rock guitar riffs.
After releasing
Away From The World in 2010, the musicians of Arkayan have been working on new songs.
One of the new songs entitled "Scarecrow" will be put on
The Marsh Chapel Experiment EP that is scheduled for release in January 2012.
"Scarecrow" begins with nice guitar sounds simultaneously accompanied by drums, bass and a second guitar. Then the vocals join in. There is unmistakable potential hidden in Jon Mazzardis' characteristic voice which can be compared to Scott Stapp (Creed) or Chad Kroeger (Nickelback), but he misses their accented "hoarseness" which is a plus in his favor. Jon proves he can sing in both low and high tones which add impact and clarity.
Rachellina Santella supports him with her backing vocals which make this hard rock oriented song sound more subtle. The song lyrics are visual and seemingly speak about human relationships.
If you listen closely to other songs by Arkayan that can be found on their ReverbNation profile, you will notice one simple rule – there is no aggression or other negativity, just positive moods but the band doesn't hold back from incorporating heavy guitar riffs either.
This technique applies to "Scarecrow" as well, in which the song construction is based on repetitive motifs. However, there is agility between the two guitar players whom apply skilled techniques into the rhythm to avoid monotony. Additionally, the drums were placed somewhere behind the other instruments in the mix. This allowed for a decrease of dynamics brought by groovy bass lines which dominate this song in a few spots.
Four talented musicians comprise the line-up of Arkayan: Jon Mazzardis (vocals, guitar), Niall Ridgeway (guitar), Djan Irianto (drums) and Raq Santella (harmonies). Some of them played in other music projects; Rachellina was co-working with DeadLock (renamed to The Book Of Lilith later), while Niall and Jon were headbanging in a band called Fractious. When it comes to bass, Dan Bruce took part in recording the bass parts for "Scarecrow", but it seems that the band is now looking for a new bass player (as of November 2011).
Since there are no miracles on the modern music scene, the success of the band lays in their own hands. Their future is wholly dependent upon listener interaction combined with intensive EP promotion as well as making proper choices while seeking support acts for the purpose of live shows. The music of Arkayan speaks for itself, so finding useful and reliable contacts shouldn't be a problem.
(Katarzyna NINa Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Magazine, 11/28/2011. Proofreading: Scott M. Owens)
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