MIARA is a Melodic Death Metal band formed in Italy in 2022. “Hungering Inside” is the band’s debut album, and it has nine songs. The title track leads the charge. It has a fairly standard MeloDeath blueprint, without much else. The band does play with a good deal of energy, however, and the clean passage is a nice temperament. “The Gate of Hell” has some solid guitar harmonies and even some electronic elements. But the main issue with the album so far is that it is just the same old, same old MeloDeath sound that has been overdone a thousand times.

 “Fit Into the Mold” has a little more bombast and I get a very strong IN FLAMES sound here…if I didn’t know, it could literally be a new song from the band…clean vocal harmonies and a big long chorus to name two. “Save Me” is a slower grind where the harmonies have a chance to develop. One thing that is evident so far is that the band lacks their own identity…they are impersonating IN FLAMES quite well, but why, I ask? “My Will Dominates” is so uncannily like IN FLAMES it isn’t even funny. They have the timing down, the sound down, and the melodies down. It’s very unflattering.

 “Trying” is really the first song where we can hear the band’s personality. More of this sound would go a long way…it’s tender, emotive, and friendly. “Honesty is a Dream” closes the album. Unfortunately, it’s more of the same. Let’s start with the positives. Many band in this style stumble early on trying to push the Death side of the genre over the Melodic side, but MIARA is equally adept at both. If it wasn’t for the founding fathers of the genre existing, I would love this sound. As it is however, it is just too much of a copy of these bands without anything original to offer fans.