The NonViolinist Project is a coalescence of musicians from diverse musical backgrounds to form an entity that is both modern in sound and yet rooted in aesthetics. The band’s sound is very eclectic. Drawing inspiration from a wide variety of genres including blues, jazz, Latin, Afro-Cuban, Gospel, Indie rock and even Electronica.
All of these eclectic influences are tied together by the tread of Indian Classical Music (both Hindustani and Carnatic). Known erstwhile for interesting takes on popular tunes, The NonViolinist Project has released its first original single called “Invoke” and that’s what we are reviewing here.
If there is a way to describe “Invoke”, it would be to call it a fusion of Symphonic Metal and Indian Classical Music. On the surface, Metal music and Classical music seem to be on the opposite end of the musical spectrum. The former champions outrageousness, lots of loud guitars, fury, volume and a general sense of excess.
The latter is more about refinement and poise. If Classical music is like writing a letter with a quill, Metal is like doing the same thing with a jackhammer. It’s hard to imagine such adversarial musical worlds coming together and yielding fruitful results. But sometimes it does happen and the results are truly magical. “Invoke” is a shining example of that.
Even though “Invoke” is barely over a minute long, it does pack a powerful punch. The composition is quite dense without being overwhelming. It does a great job of balancing nuance with technicality for a full and graceful might. Even though there is a lot going on musically, careful layering allows each element the opportunity to shine through the song without dampening its majesty.
It’s not a reach to say that “Invoke” is an experience that bears repeating for the sake of capturing the small details embedded throughout the brief but epic sonic adventure. The multiple layers in the song’s arrangement lead to a “blink and you miss it” level of immersion which will make you hit the replay button many times.
Both powerful and delicate, “Invoke” definitely serves as a strong launchpad for The NonViolinist Project’s foray into creating and releasing some fantastic original music.
Verdict: Short but sensational.
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