London alternative metal band Elyn is on a mission to help people struggling with their mental health with a focus on a stoic philosophy and a captivating sound that they describe as "motivating, powerful and deep."
The idea for the band was formed during a huge Guns'n'Roses tribute gig that frontman Andy Vozza was playing in India. Four songs into the 'Guns 2 Roses' gig with a 20,000-strong audience, the speaker tower collapsed and hit the tower, injuring several people.
Realising how short life can be, the experience inspired Andy to start making music again. He teamed up with his namesake Andy Furmage and the pair began work on debut EP I Broke My P.C, then completed the lineup with drummer Winwill Costan in May.
And describing the sound the trio have honed since, Andy says: "Imagine if Chris Cornell sang for Tool, with some help from Trent Reznor on the songwriting part."
Our first taste of this is their latest single Regret, which clocks in at a huge eight minutes in length. The track starts with the sound of a moody storm that continues under light guitars for about 90 seconds. A jaunty guitar riff takes over and drops into an opening verse of spoken vocals over light bass and drums, which begins "This is the story of a guy called Jack, He spent most of his life inside a little shack." A cool riff joins in as the intensity builds up and drops into a powerful chorus led by heavy vocals and guitars. The pace drops again in another spoken verse, which builds up to another chorus.
A plodding guitar takes over then a big cry drops into a noise that you think has brought the track to a close. But a fun little guitar lick takes over and feeds into a delicious guitar solo with driving drums and building guitars, which drop into a final blast of the chorus.
On the track, Andy told us: "So far the reception has been great. I loved the fact that a lot of people compared my voice to the one of Chris Cornell, who's a big inspiration for me. If you listen to the song for the first time, you will find a driving groove that will help you muster your inner strength. Perfect for your gym or workout playlist!" Check it out in the video here:
If you like a bit of that then check out the band's debut EP, I Broke My P.C., which features tracks like the big-riffing Castaway and a personal favourite Clessidra.
The Elyn sound has been inspired by the likes of Tool, Soundgarden, Audioslave, Deftones, A Perfect Circle, The Mars Volta and Porcupine Tree.
And on what inspires them to write music, Andy tells us: "My lyrics are mostly about the stoic philosophy and concepts such as Amor Fati (love your destiny) and Memento Mori (remember you have to die).
"I had struggled a lot with my mental health a lot throughout the years. Since I started to think like a stoic, which means accepting everything that is beyond my control and working on what I can control, my mental health has improved exponentially. I've been at peace with myself for a few years now and I want to help the metal community achieve the same results. Mental health is a huge issue among metalheads around the world and I feel like I must help people overcome their struggles.
There's plenty more to come from Elyn, including another single set for release soon, ahead of a cover track and an album before the end of the year. They'll also have a few gigs lined up, starting by playing at St. Moritz in London on 21 April, and tickets are available here.
And Andy adds: "If you feel down and need to find strength during dark times, we are going to be there for you."
