VAN LEUCIA: HEATHEN SINGLE REVIEW
Today we are talking about triple threat and multi-instrumentalist Van Leucia. Van is an engineer, producer and award winning musician (from Gadigal/Sydney. He uses a fusion of Jazz, Heavy Metal, Classical and Non-Western Cultural Music to create his undeniably unique sound. Van released his latest single 'Heathen' in May; an astounding 10 minutes and 21 seconds long journey. Branches stretches across my arm, I wonder if
they'd cast a shadow, Should I tighten the hanging noose, Or leave it dangling like my marrow?
With an abundance of information to take in, I am going to break the song into three sections: Musicality, vocals and overall story. Let's start with the musicality. Throughout Heathen I found myself getting lost in the quirky crossovers of orchestral and jazz beats which moved seamlessly into metal riffs and heavy hitting drums, with subtle hints of what sounds like a hang drum thrown in the midst. The instrumentals flow like a leaf in a river, smooth, tranquil and calm before turning rough amidst the rocks, slowing down once more only to crash over the waterfall. I can completely understand
why Van is an award winning musician, with every moment of Heathen planned out to create a delicate balance of musical prowess and story telling through genre bending instrumentals. Bones lit aflame by convictions anew, Police the thoughts (hang the intruders), If they go on, I cannot continue, Now I have to bear the weight of existence. Van has an impressive and well rounded vocal register. You will find him hitting clean and powerful highs and lows with a balance of pop and classic rock style tones before bombarding you with harsh and heavy metal screams. His cadence fits perfectly into the music creating an added layer to the beat, slipping inside of the music rather than sitting atop it. Throughout the track there were several points
with particularly beautiful vocal runs that stopped me in my tracks. Faith against the truth; I'm a godless heathen, The moonlight falls across the landscape, Trees scatter the light as we traverse the dark. Upon the original listen to Heathen, the first word that came to mind was "Cinematic." Heathen played out in front of me like a theatre production, changing scenes in the darkness and without notice, with shadow figures and macabre imagery. Heathen unfolds like a short story or fantasy epic, beginning at the point of death at a hanging tree and follows along an introspective search for meaning past the weight of life to find the future of your dreams. I have made it well known in the past that I am not the hugest fan of Prog Music, but, between Van Leucia and Sønn av Lochlann, I believe I have been converted to the ways of Prog. Now I have to bear the weight of existence, Wanting to escape, my heart's caught on the fence, Fighting my mind for a glimpse of a future I believe in, Faith against the truth; I′m a godless heathen.
Van Leucia will be performing at The Factory Theatre, Fusebox on August 30th between 4pm-7pm alongside T-rex Autopsy and Blackened Rose. Tickets can be purchased at the link.
For Fans Of: Dream Theater, Devin Townsend, Sleep Token and Epica
9.5/10
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