Yet another incredible record release here at the end of April. Sometimes AI suggestion know you better than you know yourself. They say to never judge a book by its cover, however sometimes breaking that rule can bring excitement and an odd desire to uncover this strange, wonderful thing you have stumbled across. Originally being drawn in by the album art and its artistic inspiration of the classic beast of historic Slavic folklore; The Yagas could not have portrayed this record in a better way. The cover is strange, haunting, magical, unusual, and otherworldly, a beautifully perfect euphemism for the record. The more the record played, and I was able to learn more about the creation, it was destined to hit the Drone Shops playlists for all eternity. What has been achieved with Midnight Minuet is an indescribable fusion of a multitude of genres to always keep you on edge and guessing what is going to happen at the next turn. The use of creative melodies blending eastern and western diatonic movements, unconventional harmonies, heavy guitars, synths, chanting, and indie pop/rock elements have created a wonderful concoction of what can only be described as hauntingly magical. The Yagas is fronted by renown actor Vera Farmiga who never ceases to amaze with her voice and melodic direction throughout the record. Sometimes it’s a prog rock record, sometimes a fusion record, sometimes an indie rock record, or even slightly synth driven gothic rock, and her voice fits In every instance as the record evolves. As I was listening to the record I was incredibly impressed with how it sounded, every instrument sounds great for what it’s doing; Mixed by legendary Brian Virtue (Deftones, Audioslave) and mastered by Grammy winning Emily Lazar (Coldplay, Beck) there was never a moment of doubt this wouldn’t be a phenomenally sounding record. Along with Vera is Renn Hawkey, Drummer Jason Bowman, Guitarist Mark Visconti, and Bassist Mike Davis that makes; The Yagas.

The record opens with the debut single “The Crying room” that has been teased for a while now in preparation for the full release and has been received very well. The song lures you into the record with an ease of tantalizing melody as though you are wandering through a dark forest with an undying wonder of where the path leads. The Yagas use a method of melody throughout the record as a general motif idea were slipping a few blue notes, or an unconventional melodic line, within a cluster of classic diatonic lines. This draws attention to an interesting idea, throwing the listener off of what is to be “expected” in western music, though still keep the overall idea both groovy and catchy. Their use of harmonic minor scales and chromaticism sets the dark, and mysterious overall tone for the record.

Of course, there was never a question of production quality on this record with Brian Virtue, and Emily Lazar doing the heavy production work. Both are well deserving of their notoriety, and both now get to add Midnight Minuet to their roster of quality ammunition. The drum production is very reminiscent of Josh Freese on A Perfect Circles Thirteenth step (some of my personal favourite drum sounds of all time). The guitars swing between ethereal ambient harmony lines, to full on prog rock chugging as in “I am” and “she’s walking down”. This paired with the 90s style ambient synths reaches out to a large array of styles and never leaving a dull moment throughout the record. Though there is little info on the actual gear used for the record from several live performances it appears as though they tend to stick with classic prog rock/metal gear such as prs or Ibanez guitars and  high gain amps such as Fryette.

With the release of Midnight Minuet has cemented the band as a tried and true professional group with great production, musical writing, and performance. Though Vera’s standing in the public eye with her work on screen helped gain some instant notoriety, as well as the engineers, it is important to look beyond at the group of musicians that have put their heart, and funds, into creating a well-polished, professional, and altogether just a bangin’ record. The Yagas create a great blend of haunting melancholy tones, utilizing otherworldly, eerie, and nostalgic motifs, with some prog rock and even some vapor wave, all while retaining a classic and familiar song structure that all work together to complement one another. What is created is an auditory journey of constant musical discovery one wishes to continually repeat.

Midnight Minuet was written by Acacia Ludwig, Jason Bowman, Mark Visconti, Michael Davis, Renn Hawkey, Vera Farmiga & The Yagas.

Performed by The Yagas

Produced by Renn Hawkey, Wendigo

Mixed by Brian Virtue

Mastered by Emily Lazar