Vessel of Light, featuring Dan Lorenzo of Hades and Nathan
Opposition of Ancient VVisdom, is getting geared up for the release of their
second album, Woodshed. Last year I was
lucky enough to review their first full length, and here I am writing the
review for their second blast of excellent tunes. Signed to Argonauta
Records, this duo puts out
uncompromising music that is an amalgamation of their distinct styles, but a beast that is wholly its own entity as
well. I hear a Danzig influence on this, think Danzig
I - IV, and that's the vibe on a few of these songs. Then, mix in a healthy dose of fuzz a la the doom
and stoner genres, this finishing the excellent cocktail that Vessel of Light
makes you.
The first thing we hear is called “Woodshed”, a track that
starts off with clean guitars, and Nathan Opposition's vocals. It reminds me a
bit of Danzig II, and then even more so when the heavy riffs enter. The very
cool thing about this group is that you can hear that influence, but it remains
Vessel of Light all along. This track serves as a sort of intro to the rest of
the record.
“Part of my Plan” is the very next track, and it's one of my favourites here. The mix
of John Christ style riffing and the doomy aspects included make this a really
killer track. The squeals in the main riff really bring to mind songs like
“Twist of Cain” from the first Danzig album.
“A Love So True” is up next, and, for a second there, I really thought Glenn
Danzig was singing. The intro has a cool quality between the vocals and the
guitars, and when the song shifts gears
it becomes a bit heavier. Those dynamic changes really give the track a very
nice sound, and the added power that the
heavier sections give. This is my pick for best track on an album full of great
tracks.
One Way Out has a fantastic main riff! The space between
them, the slight movement lower, and the
higher, continuously strummed piece really make this a very memorable part. I
especially liked how the vocals were executed, and the melody used.
The way End It All starts brings the Danzig
tone back up, but more in the music than the vocal work. This is a slow tempo
tune, that is very heavy in its overall feel. As per the rest of this killer
album, the vocals are one again a major aspect to this songs feel; the way they
are arranged and executed are a big part of this.
Woodshed is an album full of killer tracks. For two guys to
make an album this good is truly mind blowing!! It's actually something that I
see happening in a few different genres, 2 musicians crafting huge, memorable works of aural art for us, the
listeners of fine music. Woodshed was released on September 21, so make sure that you go and snag yourself a
copy!!!!
-T.C. Mayhem
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