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To the uninitiated, VOLA may seem mysterious. The term 'prog metal' being used to describe their genre leaves much to the imagination, and simultaneously provides space for the creative variety in their discography. This is something the band have come to embrace, though drummer Adam Janzi states that sometimes living up to the desire to embrace constant change can put pressure on the creative process - "There is always the pressure of continuing to climb the mountain… But I try to avoid pressure and stress around things that cannot be changed. Embracing change and whatever new chapters may wait around the corner is a way to make life more easy and enjoyable.”
Their fourth and latest album ‘Friend Of A Phantom’ touches on the most timeless elements
of the early 2000s rock sound. Its tales of wolves, ghosts, mannequins and more are
perfectly timed to the album’s November 1st release, giving the listener a new world of
mystery and allure to explore just as the post-Halloween blues are hitting. But when it comes
to sticking around for the afterparty, the project struggles with significance.
The album opens with the strongest song on the project - a collaboration between the band and Anders Fridén, frontman and vocalist of Swedish death metal band In Flames. The song came about after the band met Fridén while playing in Los Angeles. For the first minute of the song, a guitar riff takes centre stage, before the chorus kicks in and the tone gets more melodic. Both vocalists complement each other in their juxtaposition, with a good mix of lighter tones from Mygind and harder edge provided by Fridén. ‘Cannibal’ paints a picture of hunger and terror through its lyrics, “You summoned a Cannibal / You summoned an underfed animal”. It calls to a sense of desperation and pure need, yet the sound itself is overflowing in energy, particularly when it comes to the chorus.
The rest of the album is full of similar thematic highs and lows. Notably there are no other
collaborations, though the band have said that many musical influences made themselves
heard in the creative process, primarily Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ and Meshuggah. Unfortunately, while these artists have an undeniably distinctive sound, the same can’t be
said for the rest of ‘Friend Of A Phantom’. ‘Break my lying tongue’ starts similarly, though this time utilising a higher pitched rhythm before the break, but only in the last ten seconds do we hear a depth of lower register that would add to the severity of emotion depicted in the lyrics. ‘We Will Not Disband’ has a similar issue of failing to touch on any extremity, staying well within its lane despite lyrics suggesting strong feelings.
In comparison ‘Glass Mannequin’ leans into a more pensive tone, reflecting on ideas of
fragility, destruction and loss. Its slower tempo and softer vocals work well with the lyrics “I
don't wanna throw this glass javelin / I don’t want to watch it fly / I don’t want to break my
glass mannequin / Once again”, particularly in the sections where whisper-like backing vocals are overlaid for effect. ‘Bleed out’ brings a more upbeat tone through its instrumental, while staying true to the band’s soft vocal sound. Its use of occasional growl-like whisper tones implies a depth and edge that is never truly met by the chorus to its fullest potential. There is certainly an interesting soundscape being built during the verses, yet when it comes to the chorus these interesting and experimental edges are flattened into something less exciting.
By the time ‘Paper Wolf’’ starts playing, there are elements of the album that feel predictable. Each song starts the same way and adheres to the same general structure. There is some definitely interesting imagery, but musically not much sets this apart from the previous five songs. And points for wordplay have to be deducted when the chorus hinges on “You better watch out, the wolf is coming, save your soul / you better watch out, the wolf is coming, dig a hole”.
In contrast ‘I don’t know how we got here’ does bring an interesting and unique sound for the first 30 seconds, with an almost videogame like haunting refrain that is repeated throughout. But in this case, it is the lyricism that lets the band down. It is difficult to enjoy the sound when distracted by multiple storylines such as “the birthday card flew into space / The red balloons cold and disgraced” that fail to form a clear narrative. The song title feels a fitting description to the experience of trying to form an opinion on the track itself.
Finally, ‘Hollow Kid’ feels like a return to the energy of ‘Cannibal’ and brings the album back
up. It sounds like a quintessential metal song, reviving the listener from the uncertainty of ‘I
don’t know how we got here’, and putting the project back on track. There’s nothing much to
say here, it’s got a solid instrumental, drums and guitar take centre stage, with some great
vocals. While ‘Tray’ returns to the more melancholy, reflecting on the album’s key themes of
grief, loss and need.
When discussing the process of making the album, the band made it clear that their previous
album ‘Witness’ held a lot of weight. Janzi stated "We have had the time to internalise ‘Witness’ and let its aftermath sink in, which has shaped how we approached ‘Friend Of A Phantom.’ Our personal tastes have changed, the way we approach our instruments and songwriting has changed, our lives have changed, time has passed, and adventures have been had." While it is understandable to feel a need to shift and innovate further after such seminal album - ‘Witness’ has taken VOLA on two US tours, their first Canadian tour and a successful tour of South America- this creative push feels somewhat misguided in nature. In defining themselves outside of ‘Witness’ it feels as though instead of going further into the future VOLA have taken a wrong turn.
‘Friend Of A Phantom’ is not necessarily a bad album, and even has moments of greatness,
but it fails to present a fully finished product. It would fit seamlessly on any number of metal
playlists, but large portions lack the depth to truly stand out in the scene. It has its good
elements, but by trying to accomplish too many things at once, elements end up cancelling
and flattening each other out. It is an album that likely has to be heard live to fully comprehend and enjoy to the greatest extent possible.
‘Friend Of A Phantom’ releases November 1st via Mascot Records.
VOLA are also on tour across Europe and the UK from the same date to the 30th of November.
Words: Q Cummins
Photos: VOLA
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