Of all the retro stoner/psych rock bands that came out of the 00s and 10s, Danava was one of the better ones. Striving to be more than yet another faceless Sabbath clone, the band displayed a knack for musical virtuosity, stylistic diversity, and above all, hard rocking hooks. On any given album, Danava would blur the lines between psych, prog, stoner/doom, and so forth, sometimes incorporating multiple genres into one song, but without ever losing the plot. Which is all the more reason why many wondered, “What the fuck happened to Danava?” The simple answer to this question is, Nothing but Nothing (See what I did there?).
They never broke up. They never stopped playing live. Sure, some members came and went, but founding singer/guitarist Gregory Meleney kept the ball rolling. They just disappeared from the “new music” side of the equation. I’m not entirely sure why. This was a band who, in their early years, was constantly releasing albums, EPs, splits, and so on. Aside from a 2016 single entitled “At Midnight You Die”, it was near radio silence from Danava for 12 years…until now. Rising from the ashes is Nothing but Nothing: Danava’s much anticipated fourth and most blatantly metallic album to date. There had always been tinges of metal scattered throughout Danava’s sound, but never a top to bottom album that one could unmistakably identify as a pure metal release; that is until now.
From the opening blitz of the title track, the listener is in for a headbanger’s delight. “Nothing but Nothing” kicks things off in fiery fashion with its Diamond Head inspired twin guitars, rough and tumble riffage, and undeniable energy. The NWOBHM spirit is alive and well here, and throughout the course of the album for that matter. Whether it be the reckless n’ rockin’ “Let the Good Times Kill”, grandiose, Maiden-esque “Enchanted Villain”, or blistering hook-laden “At Midnight You Die”, it’s as if Meleney and company went through their record collections and binge listened all their favorite NWOBHM classics, from the cornerstones (Diamond Head’s Lightning to the Nations, Angel Witch’s self titled) to the obscure (Saracen’s Heroes, Saints & Fools, Limelight’s self titled).
There are, of course, nods to the 70s as well. The wild instrumental “Season of Vengeance” is essentially the best King Crimson song never written, with its jazzy percussion and mind-numbing guitar acrobatics. “Strange Killer” blurs the line between swaggering hard rock and fist-pumping metal, easily the coolest tune on this affair. My choice cut, “Nuthin But Nuthin”, is a psych metal opus that melds the morose doom of Sabbath with the drugged out, celestial wonderland of Blue Öyster Cult. Rounding it all out is an unusual heavy psych ballad entitled, “Čas”. Sung in Czech, one could mistake it for an unearthed private press single that found its way onto a Brown Acid compilation.
Drawing from the ever-timeless well of 70s and 80s metal, Danava have concocted not only their heaviest album to date, but their strongest album to date in Nothing but Nothing. The songs are fresh, memorable, and old school, yet without coming off like a senseless rehash of what once was. It’s also just more proof that, despite being such a “classic” sound, new things can be done with traditional metal. In that regard, file Danava alongside Smoulder, Tanith, Blood Star, and Century in the “trad. metal bands done good” category!
9 out of 10
Label: Tee Pee Records
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Diamond Head, Iron Maiden, Budgie