Company: Independent Release: 2014 Genre: Death Reviewer: Nate Turpin
Vocals weigh it down
Dublin, Ireland's Vile Regression is at it again with Empires. After listening to 2011's The Patterns Evolve, I was disappointed in the vocals. In 2013, the band changed line-ups with new guitarist Brian Brady and vocalist Padraig Coke joining. With Coke's efforts the vocals are not as overbearing as that EP but still in key with seventy percent of what you would expect from a metal act. Empires definitely has a more cohesive sound to enjoy, but again, the vocals weigh it down (like Randy from Lamb of God). The music itself does detract from the vocals and identifies that you are moving from track to track. They remind me of Gojira, lyrically. Rarely do you find such positivity, since metal is more about the dark side of man. A highlight is the 49 second song "Down to a Sunless Sea", a welcome surprise that serves as an intermission of sorts. That is an example of the band creating something out of the norm. The production values are top notch and elevate all of the melodies the band creates. Down for some riffage, technical drums, and melody in your metal? Try Vile Regression.
