Maria Isn't A Virgin Anymore
Miava (Maria Isn't A Virgin Anymore) is a Belgian four piece instrumental band. The band was formed in the fall of 2009. Due to boredom in other bands, they started jamming with no further plans. The first result was an instrumental mix of stoner-rock and post-rock. Miava recorded their first EP in the spring of 2010 at the 195 studios in Breda (nl). The self titled EP contains 5 tracks and was released in direct management.
After getting a lot of Live experience Miava started writing on some new material, this time Miava used a lot more influences in their music. The sound was evolving to a more instrumental post-metal/stoner mix. Clenched adrenaline and haunting riffs are a constant through all numbers and ensure a dose of extremely serious threat. Controlled euphoria goes into the layered song structures with regularity of the clock in nervous, almost claustrophobic dark passages. In January 2011 Miava started recording their 2nd EP at the CCR studios in Zulte (be). ‘The Fall of Public Man’ was released in August 2011 under the local lable ‘Dice Industries’. Later on ‘The fall of Public Man’ was released on vinyl by Music Mania Records (Ghent).
After the release of ‘The fall of public man’ it went fast for Miava, a lot of good reviews were written and they could count on a lot of support from the scene. They played support for a lot of cool bands like: Channel Zero, Steak Number Eight, Karma To Burn, Drums are for Parades, Maybeshewill, Raketkanon, Black Tusk, Red Fang, Karnivool, Caspian, ...
Miava's first full-album 'Essay on Bentham' was released The 27th of September 2013 on Rough Trade Records. Miava chose to Work together with Ace Zec as the producer this time. The result was the next step for Miava as a band, the album hit like a bomb and Miava was becoming a serious name in the genre. Essay on Bentham was later on released on vinyl on MusicMania Records, the coolest vinyl label in Belgium.
The album opened a lot af new doors, the band got the chance to play on Dunk Festival, the biggest post-rock festival in Europe. They attented Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands and later that year Miava played live at Desertfest in London.
After some small tours through France and the Netherlands in 2015, the band decided to start working on a new full-allbum, unfortunately , they never had the chance to go on with it...
In the early morning of the 7th of Februari 2016, Jelle Tommeleyn, the drummer of the band, was walking home with his girlfriend when he was hit by a small truck. He died in hospital, He was only 24 years old.
In their grieve and being devestated by his sudden death, the remaining members suspend all their future plans and MIAVA seased to exist.
Three silent years later, Miava announced their comeback with new drummer Joppe Vandewalle amongst them. Later on in 2019 Miava attended Alcatraz metal Festival in Belgium, it was the perfect start of a new beginning for the band.
Miava is currently writing their 2nd Full Album.
Guitars: Jelle Reynaert
Guitars: Brecht Vanvyaene
Bass: Thijs Vangheluwe
Drums: Joppe Vandewalle (2019-...)
Drums: Jelle Tommeleyn (2009-2016)