One thing about the metal community: it may be somewhat underground, but it is certainly international. On that front, Shiran is a female-fronted metal/hard rock band from Israel. On their debut EP, Warm Winter Day, the group hews a very middle-of-the road radio-friendly sound. While lead singer Shiran Avayou’s pipes are impressive and soulful, the music is a little less so. Essentially, Shiran takes the Djent metal style of Meshuggah and commercializes it. However, there are nods to other hard rock groups: the opening riff of the title track sounds very Van Halen-ish. Even though there’s not a lot that distinguishes Shiran from other metal or hard rock bands out there, at least in terms of sound, it’s still enjoyable and should appeal to those who prefer their metal to still crunch, but be watered down a little. Definitely, it’s female friendly, which is not to be derisive at all.
The thing that is most startling about Warm Winter Day is the thudding bass that’s bound to give your subwoofers a good workout and the thrashy drum lines, which propel the music forward at a brisk pace. And, certainly, none of these five songs are terrible: in fact, they’re pretty good and do a decent job at showing off the various sides of the band, from the hard-edged and triumphant “Burden’s Off” to the more old school metal sonics of “The Child”. As a whole, the EP works together and doesn’t just feel like a tossed-off odds and sods collection. It is a statement of its own, which is very commendable. All in all, how much you dig Shiran is going to be based on whether or not you like classic hard rock from the ’80s, just with a Djent edge. For those who are curious, though, Shiran does an admirable job of marrying the past with the present and should be looked into if you just like straight-ahead driving rock with jazzy and bluesy touches. It’s worth a listen.