It’s been some little while since Vola garnered considerable attention with inmazes, an album that earned the band, aside from ubiquitous critical acclaim, a nomination for the Limelight award at the Progressive Music Awards. Once again, the Danish quartet, comprising Asger Mygind (vocals / guitar), Martin Werner (keys), Nicolai Mogensen (bass) and Adam Janzi (drums), self-produced their work, although they did bring in Andy VenDette (David Bowie, Porcupine Tree, Devin Townsend) for the mastering and the result is an album of depth and power.
Opening with a toughened, surging riff, we are thin air draws on the likes of Genesis and Devin Townsend to deliver an airy, lush progressive sound that does not skimp on the heaviness. The guitars sound absolutely huge, even though Martin’s keys are given full rein, and the juxtaposition of Asger’s crushing riffs and the lighter elements of the synths works perfectly. Keeping it short and snappy, the track is dispatched in a mere four minutes, but the dizzying array of ideas on display could easily double the run time. Next up, the poppy ghosts has a simple, descending chord structure and stuttering synths, only for an awkward syncopated drum beat to push things in a Katatonia direction. with scatter-shot synth suggesting a more punishing number, Smartfriend explodes in djentish life as Asger lays down one of Vola’s heaviest riffs to date, grinding against Adam’s punishing drums, although Vola temper it nicely with a verse stripped of high-octane riffing, in order to give the chorus that much more weight. In contrast, the subtle, atmospheric Ruby pool operates in similar sonic territory to the recent A Perfect Circle album, a sigh in the face of technological alienation awash with poignant melodies and gentle, lost vocals. The first half of the album ends with the brilliant Alien shivers, a track that makes good use of synth elements in the verse before allowing the guitars their head in a blazing chorus that adds weight to the dark tale of a friendship torn asunder by terrorism.
Opening the album’s second half, the sparse Vertigo is a moment of calm amidst the ambitious arrangements, the band layering vocals over a simple, reverb-drenched guitar line. It’s an exercise in musical minimalism that demonstrates how powerful a simple melody can be, even shorn of the production tropes so often found in modern music. Huge, grinding guitars make a return for Still, a heavy, albeit melodic, piece of music that takes its time to explode in a manner reminiscent of katatonia at their heaviest. A dynamic and engaging track, the glorious production makes the best of each individual element so that, it high volumes, it washes over you like a tidal wave. It gives way to the near-perfect pop music of Applause of a distant crowd, a track that smooths over the rougher edges and allows gorgeous swells of post-rock guitar to underpin the memorable melody that lies at the heart of the track. Brighter and lighter than anything on inmazes, the album’s title track would make a wonderful single. Heavier music abounds on the monstrous Whaler, a track that recalls a heavier Porcupine Tree jamming on Meshuggah, Asger’s taut, palm-muted riffs pitched against the warmth of his vocal delivery. Seriously heavy, the track is an album highlight and it sees the final track, Green screen mother arrive all too soon. Piano-led and utterly gorgeous, green screen mother provides an emotional coda to an album that offers soaring peaks and lush valleys across its run time. It draws the veil down gently upon an outing that sees not a moment wasted, and it leaves the listener very much wanting more.
When reviewing inmazes, I made a prediction that the album would be hailed as a classic in years to come. Having listened to that album an awful lot in the subsequent two years, I have lost none of my ardour for that record and yet it still comes as a surprise that applause of a distant crowd, in many ways, surpasses it. The band themselves noted that the heavier elements would cut deeper this time round, and it’s certainly a wonderfully dynamic record, offering light and shade in perfect measure. What really impresses is the band’s utter ruthlessness when it comes to quality control – the album is a perfect exercise in absolute dedication to song-craft and that, coupled with the exquisite musical performances, makes for something special indeed. Beautiful, occasionally brutal, and awash with emotion, applause of a distant crowd is another masterpiece from Vola. 9
