Vended are set to release their self-titled debut album on the 20th of September; it’s brutally violent and relentless, everything you could want in an album and more.
After a brief “Intro” all hell is unleashed in the form of “Paint The Skin” A relentless drum beat kicks it off with a pulsating bass line that runs underneath that combines to give you killer rhythm, and the guitars rip with thick riffs as Taylor tears it up vocally, a monstrous opening. “The Far Side” opens with an echoey riff before the drums come barrelling in over the top and lays the foundation for the track, when the guitars come in in full force it is with killer riffs that create a cool groove, Taylor changes it up with the vocals, screamed and roaring through the verses and clean for the chorus, this is a real grower; it’s great the first time around but just get better with each listens.
A muted drum beat opens “Am I The Only One”, heralding a false dawn if you are looking for a reprieve, Taylor puts in a forceful performance, and once again he switches between screamed and clean vocals, there is a marked difference here though as the melodic vocals run behind the screamed ones for a good portion of the track, there is a groovy rhythm that permeates the track which seems odd but suits it perfectly well. The funky “Going Up” provides a little breather before “Nihilism” comes in and smashes the daylights out of you; a relentless number that leaves you gasping for air, a pounding drum and bass beat with savage riffs set the tone for Taylor to tear it up, the melodic chorus breakdown is cool but what ruins the track, for me, is the closing minute or so with the repetitive “Shut Up, Get The Fuck Inside”, needless in my opinion but there it is. The heavy beat on “Pitiful” is amazing, it creates this monstrous groove that is brilliant, the track is slower than previous but that just adds to the heaviness, like the soundtrack to the apocalypse, Taylor’s vocals are off the chain as usual, for the groove alone this is one of the tracks of the album.
“Serenity” brings the tempo back while losing none of the intensity, Taylor roars this one into life with a crushing drum beat backing him up, the heavy riffs match Taylor’s seething vocals while the bass rumbling underneath everything is deadly and gives the track an extra punch. The drum and bass combo on “Disparager” brings the groove once more, a seriously kicking rhythm that is insane coupled with massive riffs and Taylor’s vocals it is just stunning. “Where The Honesty Lies” throws a curve ball into the mix, apart from it being another groove-laden number midway through they throw a solo in the breakdown, something that hasn’t been on a the album till this point and when you hear it you’ll be asking yourself why is there not more of this as it is killer, just a pity they waited till near the end of the album to break this out. The last three tracks are all short one-minute odd numbers that range from the weird, “Ones’” an atmospheric instrumental, to the sublime “Downfall” that encapsulates all that is good about the band, to “As We Know It” a manic finish to a great album.
“Vended” is out on the 20th of September, an album where there is no quarter asked or given, a beast of an album!
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Pre-Save Vended: https://vyd.
Review: Conor
Vended Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Paint The Skin
3. The Far Side
5. Going Up
6. Nihilism
7. Pitiful
8. Serenity
9. Disparager
10. Where The Honesty Lies
11. Ones’…
12. Downfall
13. As We Know It
Vended are:
Griffin Taylor Vocals
Cole Espeland Lead guitar
Simon Crahan Drums
Jeremiah Pugh Bass
Connor Grodzicki Rhythm guitar
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