Band:	Niss
Album:	Inspiriando
Style:	Post-metal
Release date:	November 2011

01. Rigid
02. Concrete Hills
03. Lockpick
04. Electrical Potential
05. Dodging Pitfalls
06. Living In The Rain

An EP marking the beginning of a one-man post-metal band... you know the drill? Well, Niss is worthy of listening to even if you think you've heard it all. The man behind the music, Robin Stjerndorff (I've managed to spell his name without copy/paste, someone stamp my pro lingo card please?), says he always preferred music that is meant to be listenable rather than danceable, and claims being passionate about creating new sounds and exploring new soundscapes - a claim which I've put to the test.

I'm pleased to say Robin passed it with flying colors. What we have here is quite similar to, let's say, What Mad Universe. Riffs are quite thick and sink to the bottom of your stomach; the mood is dark, depicting some heavily industrialized landscape. It reminded me of Tool with some dirty moments comparable to grunge as played by Alice In Chains. But those are just comparisons in terms of atmosphere, I don't think these were Robin's actual influences.

Sometimes there is a sense of unfinished work floating about - a few tempo changes seem rather like cuts, but they're probably made as such out of desire to make the record's flow more unexpected and catch us by surprise. There are also a few "underwritten" tracks: "Lockpick" is quite a nifty little number and should have been explored further musically, as well as "Electrical Potential" - which is merely an ambient break - containing some sort of rhythmic electric noise. But there is also a hint of the path Robin may take in the future, in the form of "Dodging Pitfalls", a very well composed track that isn't lacking in any department. The sound is surprisingly good, considering this isn't supported by any label.

Supporting the underground is something we metalheads have always taken pride in doing, and checking out releases like this is always a good way to keep up with the small caves in the lands of Metal, especially since it's available for free on the band's website until the 22nd of November. So, go get it while it's hot!