With their 2024 debut Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Manzadaran, London's Lowen established themselves as a bright new force in prog metal. Nina Saeidi's towering vocals mixed with crashing riffs, the band drawing on everything from Iranian folklore and extreme metal to create something vibrant and isntantly compelling.
Little surprise then, that Nina's personal music tastes would be just as broad. Sitting down with Hammer, the Lowen vocalist shared the 10 records that have shaped her life thus far, covering everything from Akercocke and System Of A Down to Iranian pop, Japanese prog rock and more.
Akercocke - Shelter From The Sand (Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds That Go Undone)
“Akercocke were the first metal band I ever listened to. I met [Lowen guitarist] Shem [Lucas] at one of their gigs – they’re a proper, full-circle band for us. Shelter From The Sand is one of my favourite tracks, because it has loads of contrast between the cleans and the heavy sections, and there’s just stunning imagery throughout. The way Jason Mendonça uses his voice is one of my favourite things. They also have a massive Rush influence, and I love a lot of 70s prog rock, so they’re a hugely important band to me. I’ve been listening to this song for about 20 years!"
System Of A Down - Hypnotize (Hypnotize, 2005)
“The second metal band I heard were System Of A Down. I love Hypnotize, and they were one of the main reasons I felt like I belonged in the metal scene. When I first heard Serj Tankian’s voice and their Middle Eastern influences, it made me feel like there’s something I can culturally relate to. They also made me realise that politics can be a part of music."
Nine Inch Nails - Happiness In Slavery (Broken, 1992)
“There’s a video of Nine Inch Nails performing Happiness In Slavery at Woodstock in 1994 on YouTube, and I watch it, like, every six months. It’s one of the best live performances by any band, ever. Iconic. I saw them perform at the O2 Arena in 2009. For some reason they thought I was supposed to be in the VIP meet-and-greet backstage, so me and my mum ended up meeting the line-up, and then I got to be in the front row and it was one of the best nights of my life. I remember standing there thinking, ‘I want to do music somehow.’"
Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You (Death Walks Behind You, 1970)
“The cover for Death Walks Behind You by Atomic Rooster is a William Blake etching, and I’m obsessed with Blake. I dropped out of a PhD on Blake, and did my Masters and Undergraduate dissertation on him too. A lot of Atomic Rooster’s songs are about death, and pretty much every Lowen song I’ve ever written is also about death, so I feel I have a creative bond with them. I’ve been listening to them for over a decade. They’re a really special band."
Hayedeh - Gheseye Man (Ruzay E Roshan, 2008)
“Hayedeh is an Iranian singer. She left Iran in 1978, before the revolution, and she basically continued her career in exile. She is really, really influential. Gheseye Man has got that cheesy, 70s Iranian pop vibe, which is super-iconic, because that’s what I grew up hearing in Iranian restaurants and whenever we went round to my aunties’ houses. You can really sense her yearning, the loss that she feels from having left Iran, and obviously that’s something I really relate to."
Coroner - Semtex Revolution (Mental Vortex, 1991)
“Coroner's Semtex Revolution is incredible. It’s really, really technical. There’s really weird, proggy rhythms in this and there’s a hint of the Middle Eastern style I really love. They hugely influenced me. I showed them to Shem when we formed Lowen, and it made me want to do Middle Eastern stuff in the band."
Bolt Thrower - Kill Chain (Those Once Loyal, 2005)
“I love the riffing in Bolt Thrower’s The Killchain. It’s really Middle Eastern in vibe, and is my favourite song of theirs. They’re an amazing band; anti-fascist. They have [fantasy artist] Frank Frazettastyle album covers and they sing about Warhammer… All things I love. They’re really, really cool people too. I was immediately attracted to them when I saw their album art, and I have a huge collection of their shirts. They’re iconic. I think if you like death metal, you almost certainly like Bolt Thrower."
Om - State Of Non-Return (Advaitic Songs, 2012)
“I think Om’s State Of Non-Return is one of the most perfect songs ever written. It’s so beautiful. I don’t understand how Al Cisneros can just write the way he does, the way he plays bass is utterly unique. It’s so him, and he’s so authentically who he is; this weird, mystical guy. His music and lyrics can be really simple, but then they also have all these layers of meaning.
I just love reading the lyrics, and Googling the words I don’t understand, and piecing everything together. I also love the religious aspect. I was always really interested in religion, even though I don’t align myself with a particular faith. But the way he writes is fascinating, because he’s not telling you what to believe, he’s saying, ‘Look at all this cool, crazy shit out there and all this history and language in these many diverse cultures."
Celtic Frost - A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh (Monotheist, 2006)
“The music video for Celtic Frost’s A Dying God Coming Into Human Flesh just burned into my mind when it came out. Tom G Warrior’s guitar playing is huge and iconic. It’s so cool. In the video, they’re all covered in ash and I love it – it lives in my head rent-free! There’s just a little white room in my head where they all are, playing that song over and over."
Osamu Kitajima - Tengu - A Long-Nosed Goblin (Benzaiten, 1976)
“There’s a song called Tengu - A Long-Nosed Goblin, by Osamu Kitajima. The album it’s on, Benzaiten, came out in 1976, and it uses traditional Japanese folk music mixed with 70s prog. It’s just super-catchy, there’s loads of weird drumming and weird vocal techniques. This is a song about a goblin with a long nose, and I really vibe with that!”
Lowen's latest album Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Manzadaran is out now via Church Road. Lowen play The Great Escape May 14 and ArcTanGent in August.
