Artist: Lahannya
Title: Defiance
Type: CD
Label: Kabuki Entertainment

Lahannya (Slimelight Resident DJ & Industrial Rock sweetheart) works very hard - she’s done everything under her own steam from her first release in 2000 to her latest offering she’s done it herself. That being said, the brand of industrial rock she peddles isn’t groundbreaking - she even sums it up as “Lacuna Coil meets Marilyn Manson” which shows that despite her boastfulness about her underground status she really wants to move up in the world. Backed by the collective alumni of bands such as Umbra Et Imago, Killing Miranda, and NFD she certainly has the right tools for the job, but let’s face it you’re only ever as good as your last album.

The opening track ‘Prelude’ is a nice gothic intro that fades well into the NDH style rock of ‘Dying Inside’, which is a catchy enough track but one that certainly could do with a kick. ‘Brave New World’ is a rather late 90’s American Industrial Rock style of track that, if not for Lahannya’s somewhat narrow range of female vocals you could mistake for a number of turn of the millennium myspace bands. ‘Sick and Tired’ is more like it - the Industrial element is at the forefront and the Rock acts as a nice embellishment with the guitars used to great effect to enhance the chorus. ‘Open Your Eyes’ follows suit, the musical side is spot on with its mix of strong hooks and heavy guitars - yet Lahannya’s voice struggles to come through the mix and really assert itself. ‘Interference’ is a pretty standard sounding Industrial Rock track once again, competently performed by all involved it again lacks that kick, and I’m beginning to suspect what the problem is. ‘Adrenaline’ opts for the strong piano lead for a semi-Industrial Ballad that kind of works, and kind of doesn’t - the music works well but the vocals sound awkwardly exposed. ‘No Way Out’ is more of the NDH style of Industrial Rock that one would usually expect form Oomph!’s recent output that feels very familiar and safe. ‘Piece by Piece’ is an angsty enough title that could snare the younger members of the current Mortiis audience, but the track itself lacks the angst and vitriol it by all rights should spew forth with. ‘Kill Me If You Care’ despite it’s sinister riff and spooky electronics gets the same vocal performance that has featured on every single track on here which lets it down. ‘Burn’ is the obvious attempt at an end of set sing-a-long with the audience track so it is a simple and easy to follow and ultimately dull affair as a result. The final track ‘Our War’ is more of what I’d expect to hear - the vocals work well in the mix, the music is tight, and the stars seemed to have aligned on this one.

Lahannya has a good voice, but it would benefit from some more work - she lacks the range that some tracks require to give them proper emotional resonance with the listener. While hard work has got her this far, some polishing and real pushing of her limits will take her to the notoriety she desires… failing that you can shout through a vox encoder - after all, it’s worked for Suicide Commando all these years hasn’t it?

http://www.lahannya.com
http://www.myspace.com/lahannya

Sean M. Palfrey

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