Sunday, December 1, 2024

VOLA : "Friend of a Phantom"

 




This kind of pop-tinged metal is a production of the djent phase of music that has evolved into metal core to remain relevant, though given that this band is from Denmark there is less of a pressure to conform to the standards of the music machine. This is not our first time with this band as their 2021 album scored 8.5, though this feels like a slicker affair.  This leads to more progressive nuance being present though they are pulling from a lot of places here. "Break My Lying Tongue" sounds like if Porcupine Tree made theme songs for My Hero Academia. "We Will Not Disband' has a very similar vocal phrasing to the previous song, It almost feels like the same same song. 

"Glass Mannequin" is an even more timid ballad, that finds them heading toward Sleep Token's zip code, but they do it with more grace. "Bleed Out" has more of a groove, as the vocals take on a more robotic cadence. This album is very well produced. Almost to a fault. The vocals get more aggressive, but in a more djent fashion, as the synths feel like they are on equal footing with the guitars. "Paper Wolf" works off the momentum already built in the previous song. The singer's voice at times reminds me of the guy from Dredg. 

"I Don't Know How We Got Here" is a more relaxed ballad with a bubbling pop beat under it. Lyrically things are a little more interesting than most of this kind of modern prog pop. "Hollow Kid" rocks out a little more and feels darker in its groove. I like the effects on the vocals as it feels like they are another instrument. This might be my favorite song on the album. The last song is a little more chill than I expected them to end things with given the trajectory. I will also give this album an 8.5, which makes these guys consistent and more interesting than your average prog band these days, as they care about song writing and not just out to wank around. 




pst617

No comments:

Post a Comment