By John Bedard
“We are very proud of this album. When the pandemic hit, and all our shows were cancelled, we adapted, becoming more creative and much more brutal in our music.” This quote from Chris was one of the first things that really stood out to me in the press email I received. Even a mushroom cloud can have a silver lining and with all the shit that has come from the pandemic, I will say that the extra time has created some outstanding music. This is no exception. This is a fantastic album and they have every right to be proud of it!
The vocals are well-rooted in what you would expect for the genre but to leave it at that would be unfair. Every note is delivered dripping with passion. It is hard to find anything to complain about here. There is a lot of evolution through each track shifting from a heavy scream to a subtle growl to at one point a whisper that sent chills down my spine. This is one of those albums that I talk about as an experience rather than just music because it is one that feels like it is taking you somewhere. It captures your attention and pulls you in completely.
Musically, we have a similar story but once again to stop there would be unfair because it is more than that. They take that whole evolving experience I was talking about with the vocals and take it to an even greater level with the music. There is more of a melodic influence than I was expecting, giving a nice contrast between different parts of the song and lending to the whole experience feeling like it is taking me somewhere and telling a story. At times there are some harsh transitions between one measure to the others which normally would be negative but, in this case, every time it happens it feels completely intentional and lends well to selling the dark tone of the whole experience. It is masterfully executed.
If it sounds like I’m gushing over this album it is because I am. Every track stands out as a work of art. You can feel the band’s passion through the whole experience. Going back to the quote at the beginning of the review, it is fantastic to hear a band take something as bad as the pandemic and use it to buckle down and create such an outstanding experience as this. This is the silver lining I have been wanting. Pick this one up. You won’t regret it.
- ‘Væ Victis’ is released on Friday (23 April). You can get your copy HERE.
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