Tag: LohArano Bae Nosy EP

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: JOVM Mainstays LohArano Share Energetic Visual for “Bae Nosy”

Throughout the course of this site’s 15 year history, I’ve spilled a ton of virtual ink on the Antananarivo, Madagascar-based JOVM mainstays LohArano. Since their formation, the Malagasy metal outfit  — Mahalia Ravoajanahary (vocals, guitar), Michael Raveloson (bass, vocals) and Natiana Randrianasoloson (drums, vocals) — have received attention both nationally and internationally for a unique, boundary pushing sound that features elements of popular and beloved Malagasy musical styles like Tsapiky  and Salegy with heavy metal. 

The Madagascar-based outfit’s sound and approach represents a bold generation of Malagasy youth that still honors, reveres and respects the traditions and practices of their culture and elders, while also being deeply inspired by contemporary, Western genres and styles.

Back in 2023, the JOVM mainstays released the Bae Nosy EP, a title, which roughly translates into English as “beloved island.” EP title track “Bae Nosy” is an urgent, mosh pit friendly ripper built around rumbling down-tuned bass, thunderous drumming and Tom Morello-like guitar work paired with Mahalia Ravoajanahary’s furious roar. And at its core, the song evokes a real sense of nihilism and ennui, informed by the fact that the world is on fire and that everything is fleeting. So might as well have some fun while everything burns around us, right?

Recently, “Bae Nosy” was used as the theme song for season 3, episode 6 of the hit Paramount+ show Yellowjackets. And with the growing attention around the band, they shared a music video for the song, directed by Tsiory Andrianamanana.

The accompanying video features the trio in what appears to be a paper-strewn abandoned building. Throughout we see the band doing a mix of traditional Malagasy dancing, headbanging, moshing and just melting faces while displaying their remarkable energy.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Over the past couple of years, the Antananarivo, Madagascar-based JOVM mainstays LohArano — Mahalia Ravoajanahary (vocals, guitar), Michael Raveloson (bass, vocals) and Natiana Randrianasoloson (drums, vocals) — have received attention both nationally and internationally for a unique, boundary pushing sound that features elements of popular and beloved Malagasy musical styles like Tsapiky  and Salegy with heavy metal. 

The Malagasy JOVM mainstays further cemented their reputation for being one of the hardest working and prolific acts in the global scene with the release of last year’s Bae Nosy EP earlier this year, which featured, the urgent, mosh pit friendly EP title track “Bae Nosy,” a track that received airplay FERAROCK, which broadcasts across France, Switzerland, Belgium and Canada, and 50 other stations globally. The EP’s previous single “Koitra” landed on Spotify’s All New Metal and New Blood playlists, Deezer’s Metal Detector and Women of Metal playlists, Tidal’s New Metal playlist and over 250 other playlists. 

They then closed out last year with “Velirano,” a mosh pit ripper fueled by the righteous outrage of people who have been fucked with, beaten down and cheated and have had enough. It’s the sound of young people frustrated with the same ol’ okie doke when the world is on fire, and the elders and authorities don’t have the same urgency. 

The Malagasy trio return with “Dinjá,” which back home is a metaphor for cheap — both in terms of monetary value and how much our society values human life. Sonically, the song sees the band meshing elements of thrash metal with thrash punk. Anchored around scorching riffage and thunderous drumming, the song’s arrangement is a seething vehicle for Mahalia Ravoajanahary’s righteous fury.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: LohArano Shares a Satirical and Politically Charged Ripper

Over the course of the past couple of years of this site’s 13-plus year history, I’ve managed to spill quite a bit of virtual ink on the Antananarivo, Madagascar-based JOVM mainstays LohArano. Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site during that same period, you’d recall that since their formation, the Malagasy metal outfit  — Mahalia Ravoajanahary (vocals, guitar), Michael Raveloson (bass, vocals) and Natiana Randrianasoloson (drums, vocals) — have received attention both nationally and internationally for a unique, boundary pushing sound that features elements of popular and beloved Malagasy musical styles like Tsapiky  and Salegy with heavy metal. 

Continuing upon their reputation for being one of the hardest working and prolific acts in the global scene, the Malagasy trio released the Bae Nosy EP earlier this year, which featured, the urgent, mosh pit friendly EP title track “Bae Nosy.”

Building upon a growing international profile, the Malagasy JOVM mainstays went on to tour across the UK and France. The French tour featured a handful of dates opening for the legendary Fishbone. Along with that, “Bae Nosy” landed airplay from FERAROCK, which broadcasts across France, Switzerland, Belgium and Canada, and 50 other stations globally. The EP’s previous single “Koitra” landed on Spotify’s All New Metal and New Blood playlists, Deezer’s Metal Detector and Women of Metal playlists, Tidal’s New Metal playlist and over 250 other playlists.

The band closes out the year with the standalone single “Velirano.” “Velirano” is power chord-driven, mosh pit ripper fueled by the righteous outrage of people who have been fucked with, beaten down and cheated and have had enough. It’s the sound of young people frustrated with the same ol’ okie doke when the world is on fire, and the elders and authorities don’t have the same urgency.

The band explains that the song sees the band satirizing the contemporary politics and political situation of their homeland. They go on to say that they see their politicians taking advantage of a people living in misery, and are forced to accept whatever crumbs they’re given to survive. In the song, the politician character is — perhaps for the first time — being honest. In some way, the song feels a bit like a contemporary Malagasy version of Living Colour‘s “Cult of Personality,” and The Wall in which the politician reveals a violent, dystopian dictatorial fantasy.

The accompanying video features the band’s Mahalia Ravoajanahary as a sort of headbanging politician at the pulpit ripping it up behind her. Play loud and then open up that pit — right now!

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: JOVM Mainstay LohArano Shares a Forceful Ripper

Over the past couple of years of this site’s 13 year history, I’ve spilled quite a bit of virtual ink covering the Antananarivo, Madagascar-based JOVM mainstays LohArano. Since their formation, the Malagasy metal outfit  — Mahalia Ravoajanahary (vocals, guitar), Michael Raveloson (bass, vocals) and Natiana Randrianasoloson (drums, vocals) — have received attention both nationally and internationally for a unique, boundary pushing sound that features elements of popular and beloved Malagasy musical styles like Tsapiky  and Salegy with heavy metal. 

LohArano’s sound and approach represents a bold generation of Malagasy young people that still honor, reveres and respects the traditions and practices of their elders, but are also inspired by contemporary Western genres and styles.

Continuing upon their reputation for being one of the hardest working and prolific acts in the global scene, the Malagasy trio recently released their latest EP Bae Nosy, which translates into English as “beloved island.” Bae Nosy EP‘s latest single, EP title track “Bae Nosy” is a urgent, mosh pit friendly ripper built around rumbling down-tuned bass, thunderous drumming and Tom Morello-like guitar work paired with Mahalia Ravoajanahary furious roar. But at its core, the song evokes a very modern sense of nihilism and ennui with the song thematically suggesting that everything’s gone to shit, so we might as well have a little fun and enjoy our loved ones for a few minutes at least.

The Malagasy JOVM mainstays are currently on tour across the UK and France. Their French tour features opening slots for the legendary Fishbone. Adding to a growing national and international profile, “Bae Nosy” has received airplay from FERAROCK, which broadcasts across France, Switzerland, Belgium and Canada. The track has also received praise from Best Magazine. The EP’s previous single “Koitra,” landed on Spotify’s All New Metal and New Blood playlists, Deezer’s Metal Detector and Women of Metal playlists, Tidal’s New Metal playlist and over 250 other playlists. The track also has received airplay from over 50 radio stations globally. They’re taking over the world — and you’ve heard it from me first.