Review Summary: Injecting prog metal with poppy hooks, and pop with the sincerity of metal; VOLA expertly merges the genres.
The differences between pop and progressive metal can seem too wide to reconcile. When pop music is performed (on the album or live), it is like a party put on by the musicians that the audience can be a part of. When metal music is played it is more about witnessing the performance itself and focusing on the artfulness and mastery of the musicians. Pop music has a minimalist approach that allows even the smallest instrumental flourishes to be an impressive sequence. In metal music, highly technical playing is not only an expectation, but often a prerequisite. Radio rock bands try to bridge the gap but come off sounding like pop music with watered down rock elements. Some post-hardcore bands are extremely heavy but maintain the party vibe causing many to claim it isn't true metal. Could the two extremes ever be put together on equal terms? On VOLA's debut LP the answer is: essentially, yes.
VOLA is a band from Denmark. They mix heavy djent and dense synthscapes with vocals that could easily fit in on an indie pop radio station. Their first two releases (both four song EPs) were a pleasing listen and novel but it was still to be seen if they could fully realize their sound and create a full length release. With “Inmazes” they do just that. The record's sound is a continuation from their last release “Monsters” but the songwriting here is much more focused and hook driven. The record starts off with track “The Same War”, which sees the band intent on making a statement right away with driving grooves, disco beats, and an inspired vocal performance proclaiming: “There's a brick giving up on symmetry, there's a drug giving birth to a harmony”. The lyrics on the album follow suit with a combination of highly introspective and philosophical ideas that will get you thinking. Unfortunately, they also tend to fall into nonsense. The bridge guitar riff on this opening track makes their more progressive tendencies clear with extremely melodic and profound note choice and rhythms resulting in a beautifully twisted tone.
The overall sound on the record is very unique to say the least. The guitars switch between smoothly strummed power chords, poly-rhythmic djent riffs, or subtle ambiance. The vocals are usually expertly layered and harmonized. The synths are often subtle drones and layered soundscapes that take you to another world, but sometimes switch to a pulsing electro centerpiece or a percussive element. The drums manage to really rock and show a lot of skill without overly drawing attention to themselves. The overall sound has none of the instruments fighting for space and creates the sense of a band highly confident in their cohesive whole.
The record has many heavy sections, but in truth these aren't the focus of the band. Vocal screams are used extremely sparingly and only for emphasis at the end of specific phrases. Starting with track six “Emily”, a smooth electro interlude, and continuing till the end, the record becomes decidingly more mellow and focused on pure melody without losing the progressive tinges. The heaviness is still present but takes a back seat. “A Stare Without Eyes” being the one track in the second half that has the intensity of the first half of the record, and is a highlight of the album with dramatic dynamic shifts and more disco goodness. Often sections are progressively phrased but the overall song structures are pop. It is clear that the record takes more from the pop writing style than metal but it is so interesting because it is done while still staying true to the progressive metal instrumentation.
VOLA's “Inmazes” is an impressive combining of genres. Pop lovers and metal lovers will both find elements to love, but those that will most appreciate the album are listeners hoping to hear something that is dedicated to combining both genres entirely, rather than switching between the two. The pop influence makes none of the instruments purposefully stand out above rest in way to garner attention, but rather melds with the entire experience. In a testament to their writing ability, VOLA was able to take this approach by chalking the album full of incredibly heavy and yet catchy instrumentation. Heavy intros make way for delicate vocals. Soft sections explode into brutality with no warning. The finale begins with musical nonsense: seemingly poking fun at how someone not accustomed to heavy progressive metal may perceive their music. Overall, the record is a must hear, only complaints being that some choruses sound a little too similar and the guitars could use a little more variety in arrangement. VOLA are truly on to something that should be exciting to anyone facing the stagnation and separation of genres.
