Review Summary: Five years since their last full-length and three years since their last EP, Trophy Scars hit back with their long-awaited LP, Holy Vacants. And boy, do they hit back hard.
The progression of Trophy Scars has been surprising to say the least; albeit an immeasurably pleasant surprise. In just under twelve years, they’ve gone from a by-the-books post-hardcore outfit to one of the most innovating and captivating acts around today. Although the incorporation of sporadic experimental flourishes was present on much earlier work, this progression arguably began with 2009’s Bad Luck, wherein their dark, twisted take on the blues first began to take root. Their subsequent work grew more epic and audacious in scale with each release, and when they first announced Holy Vacants - their first full-length album since Bad Luck - anticipant fans waited with baited breath.
Unbeknownst to the loyal Trophy Scars fan base, that would prove to be one hell of a wait. Supposedly, the album itself was actually finished in late 2012, but the band (who had long since operated independently) put their self-proclaimed magnum opus on the backburner while they shopped out the finished product to record labels, too proud of their work to banish it to the underground. Even after signing with Monotreme Records, the album’s release date continued to be pushed back, eventually landing on a late April/early May 2014 release (depending on what part of the word you live). So, after all the commotion and interference that led up to this, the obvious question must be asked: Does Holy Vacants live up to the hype?
Like their last couple of releases, Holy Vacants is a concept album, one focusing on a doomed relationship. After two lovers discover the secret of immortality by drinking the blood of angels, their affinity for one another begins to deteriorate over (a very great deal of) time… It probably sounds like a bit much to the casual listener, though devotees of the band wouldn’t have batted an eyelid upon hearing the basic synopsis; Truth be told, the story itself bears quite a few similarities to the “assassins” story arc from Bad Luck, with some story elements of their last release, Never Born, Never Dead, mixed in, albeit to much gloomier effect. Having said that, the execution here elevates the story to unimaginable places, and proves to be their most concise and focused work to date. And, thankfully, despite being a concept album – and a very high concept at that – Holy Vacants is still an exceptional listen even without one fully having to engage themselves in the narrative (though it certainly does bring the music to another level).
Musically, it is evident from the first minute that the bluesy sound the band had been dabbling in for their past few releases is still heavily present, though every song on this album feels vast and extraordinary, without ever coming off as pretentious, or just being too over the top. Additional instruments are present in the majority of the songs, though are used to excellent effect. Every note played here feels vital and necessary, and the album remains accessible without any aspect of the music being even potentially off-putting (Save from perhaps Jerry Jones’ vocals, which I personally adore, though I understand they are not to everyone’s taste, and if you weren’t a fan of his raspy croon which has been present on Trophy Scars’ more recent work, this unfortunately may not sway you). This band knows how to play their instruments VERY well, and yet never seem as if they’re showing off when they do so. John Ferrara in particular works in some jaw-dropping guitar solos at parts, but still knows exactly when to lay low and let the rest of the talent do their job. The extent of which these excellent musicians gel together truly is astounding, to say the least.
The individual songs on Holy Vacants all have their own distinct sound, and yet work together perfectly as a collective. The band largely sticks to the blues-influenced stylings of their last 3 releases, though are still happy to experiment wherever possible; Burning Mirror in particular would’ve felt perfectly at home on the eclectic Bad Luck; being somewhat reminiscent of Nola without feeling as though the band is treading any ground already covered. The soaring orchestral elements of Never Born, Never Dead are also back in full force, particularly on Crystallophobia and Gutted, which are nothing short of spine-tingling at their respective moments of crescendo. A personal stand-out for me would also be Chicago Typewriter, the chilling atmosphere of which is indescribable - something that could possibly be attributed to its guest vocals from Fear Before/Orbs/All Human’s Adam Fisher, who is used to utterly perfect effect on this number. The transition between this song and Vertigo is seamless, as are quite a few of the songs on Holy Vacants, an album that manages more than a few sharp turns and yet flows perfectly from start to finish.
Lyrically, it is comparable to Bad Luck, in that it switches between explicitly stating the narrative at hand, and poetically channeling its characters’ emotions through cryptic metaphors. Recurring lines and themes also punctuate multiple points of the album. Though unlike Bad Luck, which essentially played as a collective of interlinked vignettes, Holy Vacants is just one grand story, told in a linear fashion through the point of view of its two main characters. The band has rarely forayed into the female perspective before, and they pull it off admirably here; Gabrielle Maya Abramson, Reese Van Riper and Desiree Saetia also elevate this material with some beautiful guest vocals throughout the album. Despite the fact that, on paper, the story could very easily come off as contrived and pretentious, Trophy Scars manage to avoid all of these trappings by focusing primarily on the emotional aspects of the plot, which only serves to enrich the already-beautiful music it accompanies.
Trophy Scars haven’t just managed to craft a terrific album, they’ve crafted a work of art. This is more than 56 minutes of excellent musicianship and songwriting. It is an experience; an addictive absorbing journey that takes you to every point of the emotional spectrum and beckons another go-around the moment it ends. This is a band that’s been exceptional music for a while now, and they have somehow managed to top themselves in every way possible. Does Holy Vacants live up to the hype? Undoubtedly. And them some.
