Nina Llopis is one of the lesser known early voices of the underground Christian punk scene. She was the vocalist of the punk/thrash band The Lead that was formed back in 1984. They played Cornerstone three times and a couple of tours during their initial 7-year stint (like many bands, they would later re-form). After they disbanded in 1991, Nina took to solo work, releasing a handful of albums over the next thirty years. Most recently, “Unveiled” was released on Roxx Records back in 2020. The EP “Miry Clay” comes to us as a collaboration between Nina and Ryan Roebuck (Motivik) that promises to be an interesting outing.
What I appreciate about Nina’s artistry is her focus on how the Holy Spirit is working through her art and ministry. The message is first and foremost; the music is Spirit-led. She does what inspires her and she doesn’t care what you think. Even if the music isn’t punk rock, it is a punk way of doing things.
The title track opens up the EP. The first thing I notice is the chugging guitars with some slightly dissonant lead from a synth or guitar before Nina begins singing. Her voice is drenched in reverb and gives a gothic, almost horror feel to it. The song features simple, yet effective, chord progressions similar to early punk rock. The lyrics speak of being renewed again, being pulled up from the miry clay. A solo from Ryan adorns the song, giving a bit of embellishment. It is tastefully simple, laying out a musical backdrop to support Nina’s voice.
The other songs follow a similar recipe, but each with a different message and musical color making the EP enjoyable from beginning to end. “Heavenly Bound” picks up the energy and sounds like Nina’s punk roots with the vocals being more in your face, cutting much reverb. The lyrics speak of having one’s head in the cloud as a metaphor for being heavenly minded. “Yours Is The Kingdom” opens right into a catchy chorus for this worship song that has a pervading 80s feel to it given the up tempo drums and the dry ice atmosphere. “Rescue Me” heads a little into ballad territory, but the drums become rather distracting and take away from the mood. At times, it sounds like Nina is trying to do too much with the vocal layers, making it hard to focus. The closing track “Holy Is The Lamb” starts with a heavy riff and follows a similar skeleton to “Yours Is The Kingdom” as a praise song worthy of any worship service or liturgy.
The style feels like water flowing down a stream with little urgency in its post-rock atmosphere. At times I felt the songs were a little repetitive, but there are enough changes and layers of instruments to keep the songs from being stale. Ryan’s solos fold in well with the atmosphere, providing interest without stealing the show. There is an intimacy to the EP. Listening to this album is like participating with Nina in worship and praise to God which goes beyond musical technicalities.
This EP would play well next to the latest Leviticus EP, “MMXXIV,” with its use of post-rock textures. It may not break ground musically, but personally I like Nina’s Spirit-driven approach and find the EP good spiritual listening to keep focused on what is most important. May God bless Nina’s (and Ryan’s) efforts with much fruit!
On a personal note, this is my 100th review for The Metal Resource! I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to write on the music I love and sharing it with you all.
Rating: 8.0/10
Written by Sean Bailey
Tracklist
1 – Miry Clay
2 – Heavenly Bound
3 – Yours Is The Kingdom
4 – Rescue Me
5 – Holy Is The Lamb
Personnel:
Nina Llopis – vocals, bass, and programming
Ryan Roebuck – guitar
Release Date: May 30, 2025
Record Label: Roxx Records
Discography:
No Shadow of Turning (1991)
I’m Your Child (1997)
More Than a Song (2006)
Unveiled Parts 1 & 2 (2020)
Miry Clay (EP) (2025)
Social Media: Facebook | Spotify | Bandcamp
Videos:
Miry Clay (Audio Only)
Heavenly Minded (Audio Only)
Rescue Me (Audio Only)