Band: MBP
Country: Romania
Title: MBP
Label: Independent
Year: 2020
Style: Progressive Metal

Review:
After a debut album independently released in 2019, MBP (which stands for Mihai Barbu Project) follows up with a self-titled EP featuring three new tracks and again being released on their own in form of a nice looking Digipack CD that shows the band is serious about their job here. Well, I hope they won't get too disappointed on how the local audience is reacting to their band, it's the same how it reacts to most local bands, close to zero. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think I'm not. Anyway, if I go past the band name and implicitly this EP title which I don't like at all (I always felt such band names after one of the members, even if that one is the founding member, except for when he's a major star, are pointless and actually diminishing the other members' role within the band), I have to say the music MBP offers is very, very good, catchy, expansive, melodic, groovy and metallic sounding at the same time, carefully structured and professionally delivered, nothing more to ask for from a young band. The vocals are so versatile you won't believe it (the only instance I don't like them is when they go for the raspy, hoarse screams, they don't sound natural like when they reach other tonalities, but maybe that changes when playing live shows), the melodic clean vocal passages are out of this World, then the guitars are a spectacle on their own, and the rhythm section is precise and technical, to end with a glorious addition of background keys that enhance an atmosphere that was already enticing. A mix between '90's Metallica, Prog Metal and plenty of Modern Metal, I'd say it's enough to catch a wide variety of fans, I only wish they'd have had a different band name. I also have to mention the stunning cover artwork by Alexandru Das, just wow!
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 8/10

Contact:
mbpofficial.bandcamp.com