Myriad Things are not holding back with their new release Sanctuary. The new EP is a bold, immersive journey that leans fully into prog-rock theatrics while staying refreshingly modern. Across just three tracks, the Belfast-based trio manage to cover a lot of ground. Sonically, emotionally, even spiritually they manage to take listeners on a fairly complete journey. This felt like a familiar sound reimagined for 2025, with bigger aspirations, production and sharp storytelling.
Opening with the title track and lead single Sanctuary, the EP wastes no time making an impact. Fierce guitar work kicks in almost immediately, layered with textured sounds and a heady, satisfying drum beat that pulls you into its orbit. It’s got a wild beauty to it. The vocals are sharp. They never get lost in the sound which is no small feat considering how dense the instrumental gets. It’s slickly produced and incredibly well-mixed.
Second track There Is Nothing There flips the mood. It opens with a lo-fi looped guitar and a subtle clinking sound that’s borderline hypnotic before the drums drop in and give it shape. It’s more restrained than Sanctuary, but just as effective. It lets the instrumental breathe before the vocals slide in with a softer tone. There’s a great dynamic shift across this one, from the delicate opening to the raging guitar solo that tears through the final minute like a bolt of lightning. The lyrics dive into existential territory, with references to Taoist and Buddhist ideas around emptiness and impermanence. But even if you’re not tuned into the philosophy, the song still hits hard.
Then there’s Colours of the World, a sprawling, meditative slow-burn that closes the EP with a total vibe shift. It takes its time getting going (vocals don’t arrive until over a minute and a half in), but they don’t need to. The track is just under 7 minutes long. Wind chimes, psychedelic textures create this lush, transportive atmosphere. The vocals are used more sparingly here, letting the music do the heavy lifting. When the lyrics do arrive, they’re poetic and searching: “Moonlight on our skin / Where does it lead us / Watch how we fall / Deeper and deeper burns the flames.” The track gradually winds down into a soft fade, like slipping into a dream.
One of the EP’s biggest strengths is how it balances itself over the three tracks. The band, Jonnie Rice, Brendy Doran, and Jimmy McCrory are clearly locked in, giving each track space to unfold without losing momentum. The production by Neal Calderwood at Manor Park is crystal clear and huge without sounding sterile, letting the big moments soar and the quieter ones sit with you. Every element has its place, whether it’s a delicate chime or a wall-of-sound solo.
If Sanctuary proves anything, it’s that Myriad Things aren’t afraid to push their sound as far as it can go and then some. It’s only three tracks long, but the scope is massive. There’s no filler here, just a band who clearly know what they want to express and just how to express it.
‘Sanctuary’ finds its self getting a 7.5 out of 10
Reviewer – Alan Robinson @alan_robinson_photography