Let me get on the mic and be a hype man for a moment. This is good. Really good.

Mahria seems to combine the ferocity of Orchid, mixed with the desperate vocals of Yaphet Kotto, the spoken wordings of Daniel Striped Tiger and the sound of the Midwest clashed with Level Plane records if that makes sense. At the heart of it all is lead singer Corby Burnett. This young lady is talented in the way that she carries these songs with such an aggressive style, yet humble approach when the timing's just right. Think a female version of Jacob Bannon and Billy Werner.

As a trademark of screamo, the loud/soft dynamics are always used, but to varying degrees. It can be a hindrance, or a highlight, and in this case, it's the latter. It's welcoming because listening to such an aural assault can drain you, eradicate you. Mahria sequester these dynamics into their craft, making each song seem more than just a short burst of emotion. You can get a better figure of the artists than just a fleeting glimpse.

Each track here is wonderful in that quick snack eating style. You know, play a few songs while you do something or go somewhere. They don't seem to be anything more than what they are, and that's nice to have. The musicianship is chaotic at times, but focused. Guitars clash and the drums provide a background atmosphere of almost white noise. There's even an instrumental track tacked on, sort of like "Woodwell" by Saetia.

This self-titled debut cassette is seven songs in less than 17 minutes. It's quick and reminiscent of Touché Amoré's first demo, where it seemed to come out of nowhere and catch people off guard. Mahria are a part of the latest crop of screamo/emo/hardcore bands making big splashes. (Ampere, Loma Prieta, Punch, ect.) And even though they've only been around a short time, it seems that they, in fact, could be the next big thing. At least according to the potential heard here...