Votum - Polish prog metal a la Riverside and Fates Warning

[batmura]

Well, not exactly, but this new Polish band gets compared to Riverside and the more atmospheric side of bands like Fates Warning and the more underrated acts a la Vauxdvihl and Superior.

http://www.myspace.com/votumband

Anyone heard them yet?

 

[Kenneth R.]

I like this, but it doesn't sound like Riverside or Fates Warning at all....

 

[Deadlift]

Sounds alot like Riverside if you ask me.

 

[Saihtam]

Are they christian?

 

[batmura]

Sounds a lot like Riverside indeed. The band themselves admit it. They cite Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Riverside, and Pink Floyd as influences on MySpace.

 

[batmura]

Are they christian?

No idea. Why did you ask though? Their music doesn't really have any religious overtones.

 

[Saihtam]

Their lyrics seemed christian. Not that it matters, just wondering.

 

[SerenityNow!]

Sounds interesting. Possibility of checking out. I hear a little Riverside, but not too much Fates.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Let me rephrase my comment so that it makes sense. It sounds like Riverside disc 2 & 3. Which is a lot less my thing than disc 1. Still, this is good stuff. I just worry that bands like Riverside will lose what kind of uniqueness they had and go mainstream, boring-ass prog rock/metal. We'll see with album 4. If so, I've still got this to fall back on, pending what these guys do with their next.

 

[SerenityNow!]

Let me rephrase my comment so that it makes sense. It sounds like Riverside disc 2 & 3. Which is a lot less my thing than disc 1. Still, this is good stuff. I just worry that bands like Riverside will lose what kind of uniqueness they had and go mainstream, boring-ass prog rock/metal. We'll see with album 4. If so, I've still got this to fall back on, pending what these guys do with their next.

I don't know if you answered me in the "best of 2008" thread, but i'm wondering how the new ZH album sounds. I have Towers of Avarice and, despite the amazing reviews, I can't get into it. It's like robot metal, and the guy's voice doesn't help the situation. How's this one?

 

[beast from the east]

I can see the Riverside comparison. These guys sound pretty good. Nice recommendation!

 

[Kenneth R.]

I don't know if you answered me in the "best of 2008" thread, but i'm wondering how the new ZH album sounds. I have Towers of Avarice and, despite the amazing reviews, I can't get into it. It's like robot metal, and the guy's voice doesn't help the situation. How's this one?

Well, give it a listen I guess but if that's your approach I really doubt you'd like any but their 3rd (and weakest) album.

 

[SerenityNow!]

Well, give it a listen I guess but if that's your approach I really doubt you'd like any but their 3rd (and weakest) album.

My approach?? No, dude, I HAVE Towers, but that's the only one I have. Do you have that one? How does it compare to the new one/others? I know Towers had a different singer, which I didn't care for; plus the music (in my opinion) is beyond technical. It's not bad, but hard for me to get into. I've listened many times since I HAVE it. I heard a song off of Specs of Pictures... and thought it was better than Towers, but only heard it once, so I don't remember much of it. So I'm just asking how does it compare to the others? Better, more/less tech, more melody, etc, etc?

 

[Kenneth R.]

You won't get less tech. That's their signature thing. It's on 4 of 5 albums. The new vocalist is probably their best yet. But I'm hesitant to recommend it since you hated Towers and the new disc is stylistically Towers 2.0, which IMO is awesome. Their least technical disc was A Fragile Mind, with a temporary vocalist who had no range whatsoever. It's more straightforward prog rock/metal. Weakest by far, but other than that, if you don't like the way they infuse so much technical and polyrhythmic melody, I wouldn't even know where to start suggesting an entry point.

 

[SerenityNow!]

^Great, thanks.

 

[batmura]

SerenityNow:

I consider The Towers of Avarice among the greatest albums of all time. If you don't lilke it, I don't think you'd like any of their albums. Honestly, I feel Erik Rosvold, the singer on Towers, is a godly vocalist and by far their best. The singer on Specs is more from the Geoff Tate school. I prefer his vox on the last album slightly more than on Specs.

Zero Hour is one of my favourite prog/tech bands.

 

[SerenityNow!]

Maybe I just need more time with it...