Loya is a musical project of Nathan Johnson who mans all the instruments and vocal duties. His influences are A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails and Deftones, and filter them through a very heavy, harsh light. The opening track “Medium” has crunchy metal guitar riffs that break bones, screams that recall agony, and melodic vocals that send chills up your spine.
“Leaving” is directed with vocals in tribute to the Maynard James Keenan of Tool. The instrumentation is in a spacey and radiant atmosphere. There is a similar layer in the track “Northern.” It’s a journey through a rocky terrain of otherworldly locations. This is my favorite of the bunch. The Maynard influence is very clear in the song “N.A.R.R.” The melody has a punchy descent into madness that recollects the feeling as listening as Tool. The ending is mind-grabbing and chaotic. “Shores” takes you into the canorous sentiment of Trent Reznor’s work. It’s stirred with industrial inspired rhythms that give the song a distinctive aspect of emotion.
Clearly, if you enjoy the works of Tool and A Perfect Circle, you will enjoy this release. For the Deftones fans, the guitar work on this release will be familiar and satisfying. As I mentioned before, there’s a deep lowness to the guitar tone that leave deep cracks all over the instrumentations. The constant similarities of the music with its influence don’t devalue the art behind these tunes. Johnson takes his favorite artists all paint them onto his own canvas.
The Musical Junkie 