In my musical fandom, I have never wanted for a band to gain success as much I did for TAKEN. Unfortunately this past year the band called it quits, moving on to other separate lives. To me this was unfathomable; the band seemed to be on the top of their game, especially the vocals of Ray Harkins. Enter MIKOTO, the new project from Ray ( and also ex members of the bands ECTOMY and PREACHER GONE TO TEXAS) that has unleashed their Five Song Demo on the metalcore world that already has them as a contender to break out from the pack. Musically the band finds themselves in a hard place, as they come to an already overcrowded genre and try to find a sound of their own. They could be placed somewhere between the old POISON THE WELL sound with a more rock and roll vibe comparable to BARS. I find myself once again a sucker for a good breakdown and some huge gang vocals, as the band delivers many times in these five songs. Vocally the screams are filled with the desperation that we have come to expect from Ray and the feeling that everything he is capable of giving is in the music. Lyrically he sticks to topics of wrong of himself and the world but finding hope in it. Intertwined in these screams comes sparse singing, adding melodic elements in the harsher sounds, instead of having separate parts for the distinct style of scream and sing. What the band lacks in innovation they make up for in their genuine and honest take on the genre. These five songs were recorded in a house, not a professional studio. However, the band proved themselves besides this point, with the quality of their songs lacking any studio gimmicks. With plans in the works already to record a full length, and a building industry buzz, I expect larger things to come. In five songs, MIKOTO has placed themselves as one of the top unsigned metalcore acts. Exciting stuff.

Self Released

www.mikotomusic.com