View The Review
5 out of 10
The problem with Vanadium is I’ve heard it and seen it all before. Of late, far too often it seems. A couple of generic riffs, a bit of growling, a solo or two, and topped off with some sub-standard singing. ’Thin Ice’ and ’The Fallen’ are bog standard, unforgettable metal tunes. The guitar work is strong if uninspiring, but the vocals are below average.
’Save The Day’, on the other hand, is a storming tune. In like a lamb and out like a lion, it begins with a moody guitar melody and builds up to a crescendo of galloping Maiden riffs and shredding solos. Final track ’Broken Man’ starts off as promising as ’Save The Day’ ended, and for the most part holds its own as a pretty strong metal anthem, with more impressive soloing and a solid performance from the drummer.
The second half of the EP is definitely more promising than the first, with the latter two songs being decent examples of a band using their influences to create their own sound.
I can’t say I can hear any Zeke in their sound (whom they also claim are an influence), which is a shame because a dose of adrenaline fuelled rock ’n’ roll insanity might just give Vanadium an edge over the competition. Speaking of which, apparently the band was formed while the members were still in secondary school, which probably explains the random periodic table element chosen for the band name. Brutal.
Not quite as cringe-worthy as the mass of bands jumping on the nu-metalcore bandwagon, but only just missing that fate by showcasing a heavy Iron Maiden influence, most noticeable on ’Save The Day’. There are no boundaries being pushed here whatsoever, but they’re clearly passionate about what they do, so let's hope they soldier on and become a force to be reckoned with.
Listen: www.myspace.com/hatual
Tracklist:
1. Thin Ice
2. The Fallen
3. Save The Day
4. Broken Man
No comments:
Post a Comment