Across its busy year 2018 unleashed a horde of gripping and rousing metal, rock, and noise driven releases. Here we pluck out those covered by The RingMaster Review which had the juices flowing most lustfully of all…
Most of us are captivated by the sea; whether sitting on the bracing edge of a cliff top, looking through a shore fixed window, or walking its skin lapping edge drawn and fascinated by the emotive call and lures it makes. Listening to the new album from Maudlin is an echo of the same evocation; a transfixing coaxing and adventure into emotion laden explorations, Maybe it should not surprise as the band hails from the shores of the North Sea in Oostende and its album carries tracks and a concept themed by the way the sea “gives and takes, it beats and anoints; its beauty always in stark contrast to its brutality.” The way Sassuma Arnaa consumes the imagination and immerses the senses in the same way as its natural counterpart though is simply a revelation and with songs which singularly take the listener into the depths of light and dark spawned emotion within siren spun escapades, emerges as one quite irresistible encounter.
The fourth album from Belgian quintet and their second with Consouling Sounds, following the critically acclaimed A Sign of Time, seven-track Sassuma Arnaa sees the band venture body deep into more progressive tides whilst still embracing post metal inclinations. With psychedelic currents equally a potent eddy within the instinctively powerful roar of sound and heart, the album is a kaleidoscope of sonic colour and lyrical design which dares you to look away knowing it is a mere ripple or wave from submerging and enslaving sense and psyche once more.
Recorded with Serge Feys (Arno, T.C. Matic) and mixed by Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Isis, Russian Circles), from its first breath Sassuma Arnaa reveals a tapestry of sound and styles which brings new shades and twists by the listen. At times we were embroiled in dark post punk/gothic shimmers reminding of the likes of Joy Division, Leitmotiv, and the thick atmospheric ventures of The Cure, in other moments gliding on the psychedelic and melodic winds of a Hawkwind or Ulver whilst a constant underlying doom seeded howl captivates as it trespasses. Together it all makes for an invasively mesmeric affair truly unique to Maudlin.
Opener Endless Expanse rises up from a distant sea mist; light and intrigue growing by the second as guitars weave their invitation. Swiftly the rich enticing tones of vocalist Davy De Schrooder add to the lure; the intimation of Jasper Bullynck and Kris Vannecke’s guitars uniting with his enticement as rhythms masterfully stroll. Ebbing and flowing in intensity, the track with an almost tender touch engulfs the senses as mystique laces its cosmopolitan melodic tendrils. The track is simply bewitching, a magnetic stirring start to the album and just a sign of things to come.
The album’s title track follows and instantly shares its rawer air and formidable muscle as it too slowly strolls with imposing grandeur. The earthy growl of Ken Verleye’s bass instantly enslaved as the purposeful swings of Davy Vandenbroecke’s beats land, a captivation escalating through the tantalising vines bred by the guitars. There is a whiff of The Mission to the song early on which shines from behind the sighs in the tempestuous breath of the track whilst the backing vocals across guitarists and bassist just complement the imperious lead of De Schrooder. As its predecessor, the track enthrals as it guides the imagination, a quality enduring across Sassuma Arnaa as Above the Vast Clouds confirms. Caught in the warm glaze of the sun, ears are stroked with melodic seduction before spirals of sonic and melodic temptation pull them across the patient and just as enticing lures of the bass. There is volatility and danger in the lining of the track too which teases and stirs like a waiting storm, never quite fully igniting but keeping the beauty honest and listener inescapably gripped as darkness subsequently smokes every sinew and texture of the outstanding track.
With a personal love of driving in thick fog, facing its sinister touch and perpetual threat, there was no avoiding the temptation of The Fog Returns, the track musically encapsulating that feel with its suffocating air, invasive weight, and melodic flirtation. Again the siren like quality of the album calls, coaxing and beckoning ears and thoughts into dark predacious perils and swift submission to all. Like a Lovecraftian sea shanty, the track is pure creative drama, entangling fears as it feeds off of them before Bête Noire snarls and hunts down those same emotions with feral like rapacity. Verleye again casts a bass snarl to simply devour whilst the stoner lined doom bred grooves of Bullynck and Vannecke tempt as they trespass. A maelstrom of ancient seeded threat and predation with transfixing sighs of beauty, the track is a grumbling seduction so easy to be carried away by.
Like a mix of Norwegian band In Vain and Australians Voyager, Erase washes provocatively on the shores of the senses and imagination, all the while its scenic towers rising second by step as melodies shape the sonic haze. Across ten captivating minutes, the song explores and conjures with a palette of flavours and imagination. At certain times there is a Celtic hint to the soundscape bringing thoughts of Horslips to the fore but almost by the second and note, it is an evolving and expanding incitement as emotionally intimate as it is sonically expansive.
From one mighty moment to another, as The Stowaway brings the album to a fine and tumultuous conclusion, the track washing over to deluging the listener with an unsettling fusion of tempestuousness calm and stormy intensity.
Every venture into Sassuma Arnaa brings new layers to venture and twists to feast upon; even after multiple plays still offering fresh aspects to explore. Without doubt it is the best thing from the craft and heart of Maudlin to date and destined to be one of the year’s finest moments.
Sassuma Arnaa is out now on CD and vinyl via Consouling Sounds; available @ http://maudlin.bandcamp.com and other stores.
There have already been some truly striking releases in 2018 and maybe no more so than the new album from Norwegian metallers In Vain. Currents is a progressive metal adventure which surprises at every twist and enthrals at every turn. With big thanks to him, we recently had the pleasure to explore the album closely with guitarist/songwriter Johnar Håland and the band, getting to its heart, its journey to release and much more….
Hi Guys, many thanks for sparring your time to talk with us.
It is fair to say that it is a busy time for the band with the recent release of your new album, Currents. Have you had time to sit back and reflect on its initial success and plaudits yet?
Hi! Thanks for your review and for taking the time to do this interview. Things are quieting down a bit now and as you say, the feedback has been really good. However, I am not really a person who looks back. My thoughts are more focused on the next album.
It seems that you have spent a long time in its creation, that time certainly reflected and heard in all its honed intricacies and bold adventures. What is the time scale for its creation?
Our previous album, Ænigma, was released in 2013 and there seems to be people who think we spent five years writing this album. That is not the case. There are several reasons for why this album was delayed. Personal issues forced me to put composing on halt for almost a year, and with me being the only songwriter in the band that forced the whole process to a standstill. In addition, I was working on the debut album of my other band, From Strength to Strength, which is a hardcore band that will release its debut album some time during 2018. On top of that I spent the majority of my spare time reading for the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst), which is a self-study in finance I have been doing the last three years besides my full-time job. The album was actually finished in June 2017, but we could not set a release date until we had a proper tour booked to support the release. So there are many reasons for this long delay. Hopefully it will not take five years until the next album!
I am sure you will not disagree with us when we say it is your biggest, boldest, and most imaginative release. Did you have any specific aims when writing and creating Currents or it just organically evolved into what we hear?
I am not really sure to be honest. Our debut album The Latter Rain (2007) was also quite bold. Back then we were a totally new and unknown band who released an album of one hour with grandiose and complex music supported by 20 guest musicians. So that was definitely a brave musical undertaking.
In all aspects, we feel Currents eclipses its acclaimed and also richly enjoyable predecessor, Ænigma. Where do you see the biggest evolution?
To be honest, I am not a fan of comparing music. In my opinion, Currents is another strong album in our catalogue. It is a very diverse album full of contrasts and has high-quality music with longevity. I take it as a sign of quality that there are different opinions with regards to which of our albums people enjoy the most. I do not believe Currents is that much different from our previous work, but there are some changes. The production is more organic, there are some shorter songs and it is less black metal compared with our previous releases.
Currents embraces the widest array of flavours and styles in your sound yet, a truly expansive landscape weaved around bold yet often delicate contrasts but it still has that signature In Vain breath. Did you have to concentrate on keeping that character or it again just naturally evolved as indeed that broad tapestry of sound?
I think it is just a natural evolution to be honest. I do not really think that the music is that much different from our previous releases, however there are some new elements. For instance we have one song, Soul Adventurer, with mainly clean vocals. We also have a song with acapella choirs, Blood We Shed, and that is something we have not done before.
You linked up, as for the previous album, with producer Jens Bogren. It is fair to say he gets your sound and imagination but what does he especially bring to the mix which you feel adds to the realisation of your ideas?
We were very pleased with Jens’ work on Ænigma. We did not really have any other alternatives at hand and decided to go back to him. We wanted a much more organic sound this time around though, and I think we achieved that. Jens usually knows what we want and I think we have the same views on what sounds good and not.
Give us some insight into the recording of the album.
All the guitars and bass were recorded in my home studio, except for some lead guitar solos that Kjetil recorded at his home. Vocals and other instruments were recorded in Strand Studio in Oslo. Everything was re-amped by Jens Bogren and he also did the whole mixing and mastering of the album. However, we were never present in his studio and only communicated with him via email and phone.
We have had the real pleasure of having an insight into the lyrical side of the album ahead of its emergence. Can you share some of the themes and inspirations to the songs?
Currents is not a concept album in the traditional sense, however there is a topic and a red line in the music, lyrics and artwork. Currents, reflects on the colossal shifts and changes of our time. The present world is characterized by continental flows of people, traditions and cultures. Migration of people across continents and borders…Cultures merging. Dramatic shifts in lifestyle from one generation to the next. This topic exists in both the lyrics and the music however we only touch upon it in an abstract way with a top-down view. It is important for me to clarify that we do not have any direct political views on this matter reflected in our lyrics. Besides that, the lyrical themes are varied, ranging from personal experiences and struggles, to contemplations on nature, philosophy and the historical and political development of this twisted world we´re living in.
Was there a particular process to the writing of songs for Currents?
The process was the same as previously. I write the songs alone and present complete compositions to the rest of the band. Later on I involve Sindre in the preproduction, as he also lives in Oslo. All members are free to add their personal touch to the songs and to give suggestions, but as the songwriter I have the final word.
It also sees a few guests such as drummer Baard Kolstad (Leprous, Borknagar), vocalist and former band member Kristian Wikstøl (From Strength to Strength), and vocalist Matthew Kiichi Heafy (Trivium). Were these happy happenings or thought of early on in the album’s creation?
This was something we decided on during the preproduction process. All the guests added their personal touch to the album and we are very pleased with their performance.
I know as for so many bands finances make a major part in decisions and possibilities in keeping going let alone forging ahead with releases, tours etc. for In Vain. How did this put restraints on Currents and do you see crowd funding as a feasible way forward?
We are fortunate to be able to record albums of the quality we prefer. The total budget for this album is around 50 000 EUR I guess, so hopefully people understand that they need to support us financially if they want to hear more In Vain albums in the future. We have not paid anything out of our own pockets. The label pays and we are also fortunate to get some financial support from various grants in Norway. However, the label obviously needs to get in break-even before we will get any part of the potential profit. Touring is more challenging and a tour costs a lot of money. Financing definitely puts a limit on how many tours we are able to do.
As with your previous albums, Currents is available through Indie Recordings. How have they helped, apart from the obvious, in bringing the album to our ears?
We have been with Indie Recordings since 2005 and we are actually the first band they ever signed. We have a good relationship with them. Obviously there are things that could be better, but that is always the case.
For those new to In Vain can you tell them about the beginnings of the band…the early days?
In Vain is a Norwegian band that plays progressive extreme metal and was formed in 2003. Andreas (vocals), Sindre (vocals) and myself (guitar) are the founding members, while Kjetil (guitar) joined the band in 2009 during the recording of our second album Mantra. Our bassist Alex has been around since 2013 and our drummer Tobias joined us recently. So far we have released four albums and two EPs, and we signed with Indie Recordings after releasing our second EP Wounds in 2005. Our latest album Currents was released on 26 January 2018 and we just came back from a European tour with Orphaned Land, Subterranean Masquerade and Aevum.
What is next for In Vain, shows etc. and once the dust of its triumph settles ahead?
We just came back from a European tour with Orphaned Land, Subterranean Masquerade and Aevum. We covered London, France, Spain, Arnhem and Essen. Our hope is to do another tour later in the year where we cover the countries we did not have the chance to go to on this tour. Besides that we will play some shows in Norway and some festivals.
Once again big thanks for giving us your time. Any last words you would like to share?
Thank you very much for your support, we appreciate it! To the readers; keep supporting great music, have a go at our new album Currents, and stop by our FB page at https://www.facebook.com/InVainOfficial/ for news, music, tour dates and other stuff.
Just a handful of weeks short of five years back, Norwegian metallers In Vain released the ear gripping Ænigma. It was a release which brought and honed all the potential and impressive attributes of its two predecessors to one seriously striking head. That triumphant encounter has now been swept away in the creative eddy of the band’s fourth album Currents, a proposal which lustily roars In Vain as being one of metal’s finest and most exciting propositions.
Since emerging in 2003, In Vain has grown within and persistently ascended the European metal scene with their adventurously imaginative progressive extreme metal. Their 2007 debut album, The Latter Rain, swiftly stirred keen attention and critical praise, and a reputation for craft and sound which the more variable Mantra nevertheless only reinforced. The Jens Bogren (Opeth, Dimmu Borgir, Katatonia, Devin Townsend, Kreator) produced Ænigma simply sparked the imagination as it built upon and pushed the traits of those before. It all pales though before the majesty of Currents, a release which surprises at every twist and enthrals at every turn. Intricately woven yet as organic as the passion which drives it, Ænigma not only takes the In Vain sound to a whole new level, it brings progressive metal a fresh landscape shaping breath.
Seeing Bogren united with the band once again, Currents contemplates “the colossal shifts and changes of our time” looking at the currents behind major events and changes across the modern world from “Migration of people across continents and borders, cultures merging and the dramatic shifts in lifestyle from one generation to the next.” It also features guest appearances from the likes of drummer Baard Kolstad (Leprous, Borknagar), vocalist and former band member Kristian Wikstøl (From Strength to Strength), and vocalist Matthew Kiichi Heafy (Trivium) among various more.
Currents opens with Seekers of the Truth and immediately entwines ears in steely vines of guitar as beats bite. Andreas Frigstad’s raw throated vocals soon prowl the engaging lure, rhythms and melodies colluding in a web of threat and intrigue around him with the song’s climate imposingly bracing but equally infectious as the guitars of Johnar Håland and Kjetil Domaas Petersen almost dance on the ear. The progressive nature of the band’s sound subsequently infuses the track’s aggressive intent, varied strains of extreme metal merging with melodic enterprise for a captivating trespass.
Even so it’s potent and ear grabbing entrance into the album is soon eclipsed by next up Soul Adventurer. Within its first breath as keys rise, grooves are writhing around the imagination, their earnest exploits matched by the superb clean vocals of keyboardist Sindre Nedland. It is instantly compelling, increasingly so as the song gets right under the skin with resourceful harmonies and rolling rhythms only adding to the richness as the guitars spin a web of creative temptation. It is the superb vocal blend across the band though which brings it all together for easily one of the best tracks ever spawned by the imagination of In Vain.
That is a height though regularly equalled from hereon in staring with Blood We Shed, the track a wall of predacious intent and tone led by Frigstad’s vocal threat. Riffs and grooves soon collude in their own menacing enterprise, the bass of Alexander Bøe a thick grumbling incitement but from within their dark nature a ripple of melodic suggestion becomes a heated, harmonic serenade. There is plenty more going on too as keys and voices take the stage before falling under the incoming rumble of those earlier imposing textures, an array of imaginative moments which seem to reveal more with every listen.
Currents comes in two editions, the Special Edition offering two additional tracks with And Quiet Flows the Scheldt the first. Like a developing landscape, the song grows by the second as vocals and guitars shape an atmospheric flight through suggestive sonic scenery. The track does not have the snap of its predecessor but infuses a drama which draws the imagination right into its heart, vocals again as stirring as the music with the flames of sax a captivating heat in its evocative climate.
The funkier tapestry of Origin and the inviting mystery of En Forgangen Tid (Times of Yore Pt. II) bring their own enthralling reflections to ears and thoughts next, the first a robust yet considerate confrontation masterfully blending contrasts in power, aggression, and tone not forgetting flavours. This is an ability In Vain have never been lacking but as so many other things it has breached a new pinnacle within Currents as the second of the two confirms. Sung in the band’s native tongue, the song is glorious. In no time melodies vein a portentous air, dark and light wrapping round each other as a kaleidoscope of vocal and atmospheric intimation entices from within the magnetically tempestuous vortex.
Ghost Path is the second song found only on the larger edition of the album, the track sharing its own mysterious shadow haunted realm. The imagination is taking on a stroll through an underworld of fear, despair, and increasing creative ill-intent which comes to a head in a rhythmically driven, rapaciously fuelled predation of sound and intensity. The song is pure creative theatre, and reason alone to go grab the bigger version of the album as you really do not want to miss out.
The album concludes with firstly the similarly enthralling infestation of As the Black Horde Storms. Its blackened assault has a folkish tinge to its melodic undercurrent, death bred traits soon as prevalent as the track consumes the senses and begins spinning another web of striking imagination and sound where, as throughout the release, every moment brings surprise and invention to absorb and impress. Its successor, Standing on the Ground of Mammoths, smothers ears with its dark air and slightly corrosive texture whilst again gripping attention with is aural enticement and vocal dexterity. More a song with its creative tenacity and enterprise understated compared with other tracks within Currents; every dive into it brings them closer to the surface though its slip in a thoughtful melodic seduction mid-way is a beguiling caress from the first moment.
It provides an end to an album which simply excites from start to finish. Setting a new marker for not only the band but extreme progressive metal, In Vain has become one of the most fascinating and enjoyable propositions within world metal.
Currents is available now through Indie Recordings digitally and as a normal and special edition on CD and Vinyl.
Earlier this year British metallers Immension released their highly anticipated and impressively enjoyable debut album In Vain. It was an encounter wearing the Sheffield band’s influences openly on its sleeve whilst tempting ears with their own specific craft in songwriting and sound. One of the many highlights within the stirringly enjoyable embrace of familiarity and fresh imagination was the track Love NeverDies, a song now having its moment alone in the spotlight as Immension’s new single. It certainly stood out through its dramatic originality and emotive intensity amongst all the other successful persuasions within the album and fair to say it has lost none of its power as it tries to ignite another wealth of attention the way of the band.
Formed in 2008 by Jake Kearsley (vocals, guitar, bass and piano) and Tim Dolan (lead guitar), Immension have blossomed into a band persistently grabbing attention and praise. Straight away their sound seemed to draw on inspirations ranging from Bullet For My Valentine and Metallica to In Flames and Avenged Sevenfold, a mix stirring up a quickly growing fan base live and through a self-titled EP and subsequently its successor The Enemy Within. 2011 saw the addition of drummer Jonni Sowter to the band’s ranks, a final piece of the puzzle found in many ways leading to the creation and acclaimed release of In Vain a few months back. 2015 has definitely been a strong year for Immension and is set to end on a high for them through Love Never Dies.
An initial and distant sigh of keys leads ears to the emotively charged piano of Kearsley, his fingers painting a melancholic picture as a similarly toned reflection escapes with his impressive voice. It is an alluring start becoming more potent as portentous shadows quickly cloud the song’s atmosphere; that springing punchy rhythms and a throaty lure of bass in tandem to contrast and accentuate the melodic and harmonic beauty also shared. From within that creative merger, a fiery climate brews too, veins of sonic enterprise and emotive drama wrapping the Metallica scented ballad as it arouses and seduces the senses simultaneously.
The song is a blaze of emotional angst and mesmeric beauty within a just as gripping tempestuousness. Certainly its character and body has a strong familiarity to it but not as potent as the creative theatre and anthemic prowess unique to Immension. For newcomers Love Never Dies is the perfect doorway into the band’s impressive qualities and rich potential, for fans it just confirms why they have taken the band to their breast.
Love Never Dies, with a great video as company, is released 11th December.
Steel City metallers ‘Immension’ continue their climb with the brand new video single for ‘In Vain’ which is taken from their debut album of the same name and out in stores now.
By pulling from a host of sources, but namely the layered webbing of ‘In Flames’ and the accessibility of ‘Trivium’ and ‘Arch Enemy’, Immension have carefully crafted a sound that cunningly blends the fundamentals of contemporary and metal; the end result is absolutely exhilarating.
Immension were originally formed in 2008 in Sheffield by founding members Jake Kearsley and Tim Dolan. Drummer Jonni Sowter entered the fray in 2011, and the aspiring riff beasts soon set to work on honing their sound. It wasn’t long before the Steel City crew hit the road and toured throughout the whole of the UK. The band then went on to record and self-release two EPs. Both records sparked extensive praise and support from Kerrang!, Rock Sound, Total Rock Radio, Terrorizer and Powerplay Magazine, all helping to catapult the band to a national level.
Immension’s debut album, ‘In Vain’, has just been nationally released and it sets a clear marker, drawing a definitive line in the sand for the trio. The riff slingers now lift the album’s namesake as a new video single and are set to charge forward. The single is an energetic assault on the senses that will undoubtedly pull you in, while highlighting the band’s maturity and careful texturing through perfectly woven guitar work and thoughtful arrangements. The Yorkshire metallers are here and are poised to reach new heights.
Continuing where their previous EP left off whilst showing greater rigorous invention and accomplished songwriting, British metallers Immension release debut album In Vain to reaffirm the potential of their already potent emergence. It is not an encounter destined to leave ears awe struck but certainly it is an album merging familiarity and fresh imagination in one persistently enjoyable proposition.
The Sheffield bred Immension was formed in 2008 by Jake Kearsley (vocals, guitar, bass and piano) and Tim Dolan (lead guitar), and soon began earning local attention with a sound seemingly Bullet For My Valentine inspired, certainly on the evidence of their self-titled first EP. Its successor The Enemy Within increased the band’s ever growing fan base whilst sparking a more national awareness too, its arrival also revealing a more Metallica influenced creativity and air was blossoming in the band’s sound and again part fuels Immension’s first and increasingly pleasing full-length. With drummer Jonni Sowter, who joined the band back in 2011, the trio are set to awaken the strongest and broadest spotlight yet with In Vain, with expected success.
Carrying a presence which is like nineties era Metallica meets Trivium, In Vain opens up with its title track and an enticing of guitar which in turn leads to a robust and skilfully tangled weave of melodic endeavour and rhythmic incitement. The vocals led by Kearsley, similarly have a tenacious and full presence, and like the music carry a Hetfield and co ring to them in varying ways. Rigorous in some moments, more energetically composed in others, the track grabs ears and attention with ease with Sowter a commanding and resourceful presence within the web of enterprise cast by Dolan’s guitar.
The rich start to the album continues with The Fantasy, Sowtor’s heavy swings again instantly incendiary bait as riffs and grooves unleash a fiery magnetism against the dark swing riffs of bass. As the rest of the album, there are plenty of recognisable aspects to the song, of others and the band’s previous releases, but equally a new adventure is explored too via more provocative sonic textures and Middle Eastern spices. It is a climatic and richly satisfying encounter, its mix of deliberate prowling and ruggedly enthusiastic charges a contagious persuasion reinforced by the creative imagination and ever impressing vocals within all sides of the band.
All That Remains follows with a mellower and more restrained if still fiery character, vocals and guitar caressing ears as rhythms provide a sturdier framing. Impassioned energy flows through the heart and narrative of the song though, ensuring its more placid nature is always on the edge of emotional eruption before it makes way for the skilfully crafted and dynamic Lost & Forgotten. Neither track can match the persuasion of the first two on the album, and both also begin to reveal a surface similarity in certain areas between tracks within In Vain, but each has ears and appetite enthused for more with their also present elements of individuality, and again duly offered by In The Dead Of Winter and Shadow Of Yourself. The first of these two opens with an ominous yet regal ambience around dramatic beats before being further infused with wiry melodic hues of guitar. There is a rampancy to it which is just as highly persuasive as the ever evident technical and thoughtful potency going into songs. It is one of the loftier peaks of the album, a height its successor tries to emulate with its familiar inventive route clad in thoroughly engaging sound and creativity.
For maybe the first openly dramatic time a major twist of originality comes with the piano led and vocally harmonic Love Never Dies. Its opening charm and beauty is mesmeric but aligned to portentous shadows through the heavy tones of bass and firmly jabbing beats, it all gripping the imagination as much as ears. Continuing to evolve and expand its character and creative colour, the song becomes a blaze of melodic and emotional angst, sublimely capturing pleasure and thoughts before the just as excellent The Enemy Within uncages its barbarous and exhilarating turbulence. The track is never as aggressive and volatile as it might be due to the excellent smooth tones of Kearsley, but it thrills a treat with an enticing which is inviting and barbed simultaneously. The two tracks provide further pinnacles to the album before closing track The Father You Will Never Be offers a final imposing croon and emotional ferocity restrained by melodic temptation.
The song is a fine end to a consistently and increasingly enjoyable release. Immension are still a distance away from finding a truly unique sound but In Vain shows that in craft and sound they have taken big and impressive steps. This is not an encounter to be surprised by or find brand new terrains through but as a proposition to simply spend forty five minutes or so enjoying potent melodic metal, it is a success many other bands will envy.
In Vain is available from June 15th through all stores.
Opener Endless Expanse rises up from a distant sea mist; light and intrigue growing by the second as guitars weave their invitation. Swiftly the rich enticing tones of vocalist Davy De Schrooder add to the lure; the intimation of Jasper Bullynck and Kris Vannecke’s guitars uniting with his enticement as rhythms masterfully stroll. Ebbing and flowing in intensity, the track with an almost tender touch engulfs the senses as mystique laces its cosmopolitan melodic tendrils. The track is simply bewitching, a magnetic stirring start to the album and just a sign of things to come.
Currents embraces the widest array of flavours and styles in your sound yet, a truly expansive landscape weaved around bold yet often delicate contrasts but it still has that signature In Vain breath. Did you have to concentrate on keeping that character or it again just naturally evolved as indeed that broad tapestry of sound?
Currents opens with Seekers of the Truth and immediately entwines ears in steely vines of guitar as beats bite. Andreas Frigstad’s raw throated vocals soon prowl the engaging lure, rhythms and melodies colluding in a web of threat and intrigue around him with the song’s climate imposingly bracing but equally infectious as the guitars of Johnar Håland and Kjetil Domaas Petersen almost dance on the ear. The progressive nature of the band’s sound subsequently infuses the track’s aggressive intent, varied strains of extreme metal merging with melodic enterprise for a captivating trespass.
Formed in 2008 by Jake Kearsley (vocals, guitar, bass and piano) and Tim Dolan (lead guitar), Immension have blossomed into a band persistently grabbing attention and praise. Straight away their sound seemed to draw on inspirations ranging from Bullet For My Valentine and Metallica to In Flames and Avenged Sevenfold, a mix stirring up a quickly growing fan base live and through a self-titled EP and subsequently its successor The Enemy Within. 2011 saw the addition of drummer Jonni Sowter to the band’s ranks, a final piece of the puzzle found in many ways leading to the creation and acclaimed release of In Vain a few months back. 2015 has definitely been a strong year for Immension and is set to end on a high for them through Love Never Dies.
The rich start to the album continues with The Fantasy, Sowtor’s heavy swings again instantly incendiary bait as riffs and grooves unleash a fiery magnetism against the dark swing riffs of bass. As the rest of the album, there are plenty of recognisable aspects to the song, of others and the band’s previous releases, but equally a new adventure is explored too via more provocative sonic textures and Middle Eastern spices. It is a climatic and richly satisfying encounter, its mix of deliberate prowling and ruggedly enthusiastic charges a contagious persuasion reinforced by the creative imagination and ever impressing vocals within all sides of the band.