Hyena Express: An elegy in guise of rock music
Shonar Bangla Circus released their magnificent debut album titled "Hyena Express." Here is our review.
Just days before the coronavirus pandemic shook Bangladesh to its core, Bangladeshi rock band Shonar Bangla Circus dropped their debut album online. The nine-track album "Hyena Express" speaks of the trying time the country is passing in shutdown.
Hyena Express was released on YouTube and other streaming platforms on February 29. The conceptual album weaves a linear story told in nine songs.
Listen to the music "Hyena Express" from rock band Shonar Bangla Circus here
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In the age of singles and streaming, people consume music in little sips and not in its entirety. Many artists prefer to release singles, instead of a full length album nowadays. Who has the time to listen to a 60-minute album, uninterruptedly?
Although people nowadays do not have the luxury to listen to a 60-minute album uninterruptedly but if you want to bask in the glory of the folk-jazz finesse of Hyena Express, it is highly suggested you listen to the full album in one sitting. Dimming the lights in your room and creating a tranquil ambience will only add to your experience.
The album opens with the title track - Hyena Express. Shonar Bangla Circus frontman Probar Ripon says that the album is a journey. The philosophical voyage begins with the first track, eventually reaching an ethereal sphere throughout the tracks that follow. When the band members said the album is about "suicide of the human civilization", the analogy could not be truer.
Probar was the man behind the lyrics and tuned the album. Apart from his theatrical vocalisation, his composition works for this album is a league of its own.
The originality of the album makes it an exception. While many bands have strayed away from the path of creating quality music, Shonar Bangla Express stands tall as the next big thing.
Hyena Express could be dubbed as an elegy in disguise of rock music and a seminal work of musicianship.
At one point, the coronavirus pandemic will hopefully subside. Many will look forward to seeing Shonar Bangla Circus live once everything goes back to what we call normal.
The lineup of Shonar Bangla Circus includes Probar Ripon on vocals, Seth Panduranga Blumberg on guitars, Dewan Enamul Hasan Raju on drums, Shakil Haque on bass and Saad Chowdhury on keyboards.
The songs from the album are- Hyena express, Mrittu Utpadon kori, Ondho Deyal, Srujer ondhokar, Amar nam oshukh, Kromosho, Perfumer fele deya botol, Attohottar gaan and Epitaph.
The album can be streamed on GP music, Gaan and Spotify among other platforms.
Hyena Express was released under the banner of "ME Label." CD of the album was scheduled to be released on March 19, but was later postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, official t-shirt of the band can be ordered from the band's Facebook page.
