Vacant Stare - Vindication
Copro Records - 2002
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Copro Records website
Vacant Stare are a group I've been keeping my eye on for a while now. Popping out of the London underground last year with an excellent demo and a fresh sound combining nu-metal melody and groove with sheer hardcore heaviness and aggression, the six-piece appeared to be on the verge of greatness. Then they promptly disappeared for six months. Oh dear.
But fear not - for in those six months they have been recording and mixing this, their storming debut album, which showcases a newfound musical maturity and a more clear grasp of their musical direction, not to mention a far more melodic bent. From the opening DJ-electronica-swirl into chugging riff of 'Obscured' to the irresistable mosh-groove dynamic of third track 'A Head Start', VC display their ample ability to mix it with the nu-metal kidz and still keep it aggressive enough for us extreme metalheads to nod our heads to.
The talented vocalist swings between rapping, heartfelt crooning and gravel-throated screaming seemingly at the flick of a switch, and carries it all off rather well. The DJ adds typical scratching-solo swishiness to the background, while rhythmic, driving drum-beats and pumping basslines guide along the neck-snapping riffs until they break into a melodic aside that fits the dynamic of each song perfectly.
Slower songs get a look in too - the brooding 'Patience' and almost melancholic 'Where I Stand' serve as an interesting counterpoint to the typical baggy-trousered aggravation on offer in most of the songs - but then it's straight back into the fray with a track like the stomping 'Come Face Up'. This a relentless beat 'em up of a song with a punishing chorus, some of the most harsh vocals on the album but a strangely dispirate feel from the rest of the album - perhaps a result of the track being a holdover from the band's demo days rather than a fully-fledged new track like the majority of the album.
On the whole, this is a fresh sound from the best that the British underground has to offer. If there was any justice in the world, the Yanks would be falling over themselves to get to this lot and the British metal scene would be noticed again. As it is, they'll probably acheive moderate fame and 'local hero' status. But it'll be well-deserved.
9/10
Copro Records - 2002
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Copro Records website
Vacant Stare are a group I've been keeping my eye on for a while now. Popping out of the London underground last year with an excellent demo and a fresh sound combining nu-metal melody and groove with sheer hardcore heaviness and aggression, the six-piece appeared to be on the verge of greatness. Then they promptly disappeared for six months. Oh dear.
But fear not - for in those six months they have been recording and mixing this, their storming debut album, which showcases a newfound musical maturity and a more clear grasp of their musical direction, not to mention a far more melodic bent. From the opening DJ-electronica-swirl into chugging riff of 'Obscured' to the irresistable mosh-groove dynamic of third track 'A Head Start', VC display their ample ability to mix it with the nu-metal kidz and still keep it aggressive enough for us extreme metalheads to nod our heads to.
The talented vocalist swings between rapping, heartfelt crooning and gravel-throated screaming seemingly at the flick of a switch, and carries it all off rather well. The DJ adds typical scratching-solo swishiness to the background, while rhythmic, driving drum-beats and pumping basslines guide along the neck-snapping riffs until they break into a melodic aside that fits the dynamic of each song perfectly.
Slower songs get a look in too - the brooding 'Patience' and almost melancholic 'Where I Stand' serve as an interesting counterpoint to the typical baggy-trousered aggravation on offer in most of the songs - but then it's straight back into the fray with a track like the stomping 'Come Face Up'. This a relentless beat 'em up of a song with a punishing chorus, some of the most harsh vocals on the album but a strangely dispirate feel from the rest of the album - perhaps a result of the track being a holdover from the band's demo days rather than a fully-fledged new track like the majority of the album.
On the whole, this is a fresh sound from the best that the British underground has to offer. If there was any justice in the world, the Yanks would be falling over themselves to get to this lot and the British metal scene would be noticed again. As it is, they'll probably acheive moderate fame and 'local hero' status. But it'll be well-deserved.
9/10
