It's time to return to the safe bosom of our shores for a review. I received this shortly before new year and such is the chaotic states of my inbox at the moment, I've decided to review this now. Vera Grace a new, unsigned metal band from Oxfordshire and The Lucifer Effect is their debut EP. The EP itself is due for release on the 07/02/2013, both digitally and physically. I'm a huge fan of supporting new and unknown bands (as you know) and the continued growth of our metal scene no matter the style of image, so giving this a spin is definitely how I want to start my weekend.
Tracklist:-
1. Carrier
2. Restless King
3. The Father's Eyes
4. The Lucifer Effect
The Lucifer Effect opens up with Carrier and with it,
off-kilter and angular riffs, slick drumming and bilous screams. Considering
the vocals are so heavy, the music itself is subtly understated. It's pretty
tasteful and Vera Grace don't try and fit too much into the song. Their sound
sits somewhere between modern melodic hardcore and djent. It's got those
progressive touches as well as the sense of post-hardcore, during some of the
more introspective instrumental parts. A very assured start to this EP.
Restless King turns the experimentalism up a notch, with
some great melodic guitar leads and different structures. I really like this
side to their music, as it provides me with something to appreciate that isn't
just pounding breakdown after pounding breakdown, that seem to be the preserve
of modern hardcore bands in certain spaces. The dissonance is certainly where
it's at for these guys!
When The Father's Eyes started, I did think I was listening
to Temper Trap! That sole plucked guitar made me think electronic beats were
about to take over, but they didn't and I was just panicking. What did kick in
though was a calm instrumental opening passage. That instrumental carries on
through the song with the screams over the top, sounding pretty harrowing. The
volume level rises toward the middle with a crescendo of sound from all angles
and a sense of euphoria, that only rears it's head on such occasions.
EP closer, The Lucifer Effect really cements Vera
Grace's alternative metal tag, if you want to bother trying to pigeonhole them
at all. More off kilter rhythms and melodic flourishes that make it hard to
truly classify their sound. Vera Grace may not have the initial impact that
some bands have, but being that bit harder to work out is a good thing. It
shows they're thinking about their music. I'm impressed with this one and as I
sit through more of that awesome melodic guitar and those emotive screams, I
feel inspired and moved. This is why I do this.
Vera Grace are streaming The Father's Eyes over at their Soundcloud page in preparation for the release of this EP. Check it out below:-
Keeps your eyes on these two links for new of the physical and digital releases when they happen on the 7th - http://www.veragraceband.com and http://veragrace.bigcartel.com.
Also you can visit Vera Grace for more news on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/veragraceband.
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