VANTA: PERPETUAL SELECTION ALBUM REVIEW
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Vanta is a melodic death metal band from Nyoongar/Perth, and they have released their debut full length album 'Perpetual Selection'. Vanta hit the scene in 2023 with their single 'Ashes', following it up with their EP
'Gravemind' and several singles.
Originally I was going to break down each song individually, but after realising that that would probably turn into a twenty minute read I decided to shift how I was going to approach this Album. So instead I am going to approach the vocals and the music separately for the overall album and then add in any stand out titbits at the end. Let's start with the vocals. There is a humongous variety of vocal technical on display throughout the nine tracks, from classical death metal highs to crushing lows, use of tunnels and gutterals and nearly everything in between. The use of self harmonizing the lows and highs is clean, not feeling forced or
like one is overpowering the other. While the lows are consistent in sound, they do not vary in tone often, holding in the same energy, but honestly as they are it works, giving you the effect the band is obviously going for. Drown starts with a beautiful breathy tone that slowly shifts into something grittier and heavier, lows coming in subtly underneath to round out the overall listening experience, before the lows become the dominant sound and the highs slip below. Stillwater shows a huge array of vocal techniques from Dani Filth/Trevor Strnard highs to Phil Bozeman style lows, having me locked in from the get go. Overall there is the obvious ability to hold a note and rapidly sing through the lines of the tracks while hold space to tell a story.
This album is meant to feel like a journey and it's meant to leave your face bruised at the end. We had one hell of a journey making it all come to life, a lot of raw emotions in the process - so you'll hear how we've grown since the Gravemind EP as it all unravels right through to the end of Perpetual Selection. This Album is about taking our inception to a whole new level and refining it with a much more brutal and modern twist.
Musically, Vanta show great depth and musical skill with the instruments working together cleanly and with intention. The drums work well at keeping the consistency while the guitars scale and shift the tone around, feeling like a combination of “Jazzier” Gojira tones and modern style
Deathcore, with the theatricality and symphonic notes of Lorna Shore. Sacred Light begins with a guitar solo and organ music playing alongside, transporting you to another dimension before being pummelled as the whole song flips on its head. The way the bass and cymbals fill spaces throughout this track made me feel queasy and unsettled, I'm not sure why but it felt very significant and stood out.
Stillwater has deathcore energy standing out from the overall death metal sound; the track will have you feeling like you are on a twisting roller
coaster as it takes you through the motions, slowing down and speeding up at will, keeping you on your toes giving the impression of being “Sea Sick”. All-in-all Vanta have great potential for ongoing story telling and musical development.
Some final stand out notes from my listening experience of Perpetual Selection. There is a Feminine scream in the beginning of Kuyang that is absolutely blood curdling and immediately puts you on edge, pulling you in. Next, the shifting point between Sacred Light and Alchemy is a bit janky, feeling like you suddenly hit a wall of silence before the next song begins, this is the only track from the album that I noticed had a shift like this. The final comment I have is, the changing styles of the songs keep it from feeling stagnant and shows the full spectrum of the band's musical and vocal abilities. I cannot wait to see where Vanta take their varied style next.
Vanta will be appearing at the Milk Bar in Inglewood, WA on Friday the 27th of March with Allocer, King Zog and Crailbone. Tickets are available at the link below:
For Fans Of: Aborted, Dark Funeral, Trivium, Slipknot and Gojira
My Favourite Song: Stillwater
8/10
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