Review: Bank Myna ‘Eimuria’
Having initially formed in Paris in 2013, the French band Bank Myna is only now, in 2025, releasing their second album to the world. Following on from the 2022 debut Volaverunt, the quartet have been busy creating a worthy successor, and with this new release, all of their dreamy otherworldly visions have been fully realised once and for all.
Recorded in a live setting, it gives the band the opportunity to capture their creative spontaneity, which accentuates the whole experience even further. As for the album itself, Eimuria is a five-track spiritual awakening that comes in at just over three quarters of an hour’s music, guaranteed to awaken the primal soul deep within.
This is more than merely music, this is a sonic tribal ritual, which will transport you to a different plane of existence if you let it do so. Part doomgaze, a little drone, some dark post-rock and even a healthy little dose of shoegaze in the mix, if you are looking to be taken on a journey, then make sure you let Bank Myna be your guide.
With regards to the band, the unit is made up of four equal parts, Maud Harribey on vocal, violin and keyboards, Constantin Du Closel covers the drumming and percussion masterfully, Fabien Delmas assumes guitar duties, and Daniel Machon completes the band’s sound with eloquent bass rhythms throughout.
To draw comparison toward any other band is quite difficult, there is an air of BIG|BRAVE, but also Baulta and Lost In Kiev, but ultimately Bank Myna is Bank Myna, they are their own thing, and sound really unlike anyone else if I’m honest. There’s an atmospheric otherworldly dynamic, and as each track plays through, it’s impossible to not fall under their spell.
Opening with No Ocean Of Thought we are ushered in by the sound of an abstractly awkward guitar strum, before it drops off and Maud’s serenely intoxicating vocal drifts in. It feels like you are being enchanted, very much like a siren hypnotising with her song, and as the moody ambience proceeds, it’s the vocal which guides the way right up to its climax.
There’s an atmospheric otherworldly dynamic, and as each track plays through, it’s impossible to not fall under their spell…
The Shadowed Body swiftly rolls in and lifts the atmosphere after its predecessor lays the foreboding groundwork for a darkly morose playground. A slow, pensive, bassy start is disrupted by the vocal introduction, and it makes for a moody and gothic soundscape. There is a real ‘60s or ‘70s horror film soundtrack vibe going on, and as the intensity builds, so too does the pace, bringing with it a hypnotically rhythmic texture. It lurches to a stop, before restarting, but as it does, the tone is in complete contrast and far more morose, as the final few minutes are a different affair altogether.
The Other Faceless Me compacts on the slow and moody theme, and as it plays through, this ominous, dark, depressive entity makes for an intoxicating listen. Hanging off each and every note makes for a mesmerising, weightless experience, where it feels like time is being stretched indefinitely. Saying so much with so little effort, the band prove just how to use these textures and sounds to maximum effect, and the end result is truly overwhelming. Each moment is filled with intensity, and the need to want more, to the point where you aren’t only engaged, but you yearn for more. It’s a very immersive experience, which, if you allow it to, will grab you right down to your very core.
Stepping in to shake things up, track four, Burn All the Edges shows a heavier side to the band. It’s both charming and engaging, and with a vibrancy that feels almost like it has an urgency to it. Add to that, its disjointed and somewhat abrasive beauty, and it’s here in particular I draw on those BIG|BRAVE comparisons the most. It is beautifully ugly at times, angular and intense, yet utterly compelling too. It’s hard to look away…
Saving the most wonderous track for the finale, L’Implorante is a masterclass in just how incredible Bank Myna are at conjuring up such lavish sonic plateaux. From its inception to its apex, it is such an overwhelming musical experience, and throughout the thirteen-and-a-half-minute journey, it’s an absolute thrill ride. The only way to fully consume it is to give yourself completely to its majesty, and let it take you away, because as it builds, it’s those crushing highs that really impact on your soul. By its culmination, we are left with a softer serene ending, perfectly fitting for such an experience.
Absolutely spellbinding, Eimuria needs to be savoured, enjoyed and embraced, because its depth and emotion is truly in a league of its own. To see is to believe, take the chance, you won’t be disappointed.
Label: Medication Times Records | Araki Records | Stellar Frequencies
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Lee Beamish
