Band:	Nahemah
Album:	A New Constellation
Style:	Progressive death metal, Post-metal
Release date:	May 25, 2009
Guest review by:	Mindheist

01. Much Us
02. Absynthe
03. Follow Me
04. Reaching The Stars
05. The Perfect Depth Of The Mermaids
06. Air
07. Under The Mourning Rays
08. The Trip
09. Smoke's Men
10. Outer

You know, finding a vibrant and recognizable sound among much fierce competition from the likes of Opeth, Katatonia or Green Carnation in the progressive metal scene is, to some people, beyond the bounds of possibility. Progressive metal is probably the only metal genre that, even after being combined with different elements, never loses its identity. Take Ark's Burn The Sun and Opeth's Blackwater Park for example, they are two stupendous masterpieces flagged as progressive but fall in different categories, and yet the enthralling complex song structure that pretty much defines progressive metal is brilliantly instilled in both.

Spain's Nahemah are no exception to this rule but they have somehow brought something new to the table, something that very few, if any, have achieved. A New Constellation was written in the vein of Paradise Lost's Draconian Times's quelling mind-heisting power, Pat Metheny's Jazzy transitions, Dan Swanö's Moontower's blurry keyboard arrangements, Katatonia's Brave Murder Day's piercing and grievous riffs, Rotting Christ's Sanctus Diavolos's bloodcurdling atmosphere, transcendent vocal performance ranging from clean to flawless growls and a restricted, yet beautiful Andean sound-a-like pan flute or a similar but exact-sounding instrument in the opener. But ironically enough, Nahemah's silhouette is the element that stands out above the others marking its own territory and tracing its authentic identity. I could hear all of those bands storming behind Nahemah's soul and influencing its sound but I would also tell you: "You know what? This is not Katatonia, this is not Dan Swanö either, this is Nahemah."

Pablo Egido gave such a brilliant performance, never have I heard better or more captivating growls from the progressive land, and I think he's definitely the missing piece that could have made Bloodbath's Resurrection Through Carnage a classic.

What a memorable listen! A New Constellation offers a great variety of sounds but its backbone remains unaffected and true to its progressive metal roots. This is definitely an album to check out if you are longing to see progressive corded with a considerable number of metal genres and supported with some of the finest vocals over the past decade.