Who Did the Vctms Vol Iii Halfway Happy Album Art

8th September 2018

Review: "Book Iii: Halfway Happy" by VCTMS

2014'south "Sickness: Vol. one" featured five guest song appearances, albeit that Landon Tewers and Ben Keller appeared on the aforementioned runway. 2017's "Volume Ii: Inside The Mind" matched that with five over five separate tracks. 2018's "Volume III: Halfway Happy" goes two improve with seven over seven. Are yous getting the familiar theme here? VCTMS like to bring their friends along for the ride when in the studio. At that place isn't whatsoever doubt that at the shows, a random drove of guests from support bands accept up those slots and make for a unique experience for the fans at each testify. It besides ways that on the twelve rail album, there are only five songs which the band don't accept anyone joining them.

Some haunting got opening off kilter synths give "Enquire Yourself" an nigh science fiction B-Movie feel in an eerie and gripping style before the opening verse appears. Information technology's a deliberate imitation start to throw y'all off the odour as you immediately think "what am I listening to? This own't VCTMS? Is it?" so the vocal kicks in a proper with Nu-Metalcore introspective lyrics, an omnipotent "Blegh!" and the type of Tech-Metallic infised guitar work we've come to expect from them. The introduction is a stroke of genius.  "Crippling // Form" appeared equally single in 2017 and continues the flow with crossing Tech-isms with Nu-Metalcore on the guitar side and bringing to mind the blazon of material we got from Void of Vision on "Disturbia" without the clean vocals, instead mixing rap-screamed with a harsh bark. "Tape Worm" is the first of the first vocal appearances, through this 1 is only labelled equally featuring "Connor". Whoever he is, he delivers a irksome vocal ringlet that is akin to what you'd wait on an old skool hardcore punk release. The vocal itself is a mashup of sorts, blending elements from a number of different styles into one cohesive piece. A menacing harsh whispered section breaks up the breakdowns and adds a sprinkling of magic before that guest vocal and it'south accompanying downward tempo groove.

"A Lonely Place of Dying" features guest vocals from Kadeem France of Loathe, offering a menacing riff that loops and re-appears beteen breaks into some more traditional crushing riffage. Lyrically it's a song about depression and the level of introspection is high and in tune with the current Nu-Metalcore and Nu-Deathcore trends. It'due south not a melody written to sound like Loathe and that'south why it works as well as information technology does. "Cognitive // Closure" picks upwards the tempo and throws downwardly more groove with some bounce across the verse accompanied by some haunt in the lead sounds. The song and then flows into "Beautifully // Depressing" via a programmed drum loop. The clean vocals that kickoff the opening poesy are close to spoken word and frankly ugly in a good way, setting a scene. The mid song rap is as a high pitched throwback to yester twelvemonth 1999 era bands and after multiple listens it doesn't seem to piece of work.

"Stasis" features invitee vocals from Frankie Palmeri of Emmure and is plain going to exist 1 of the heavier tracks. The programmed drum loop opening is broken by the bouncy Tech Riffage and of a sudden nosotros're in Deathcore territory and it sounds great! Palmeri delivers a loftier quality showing and the rails features the best drum work of the album to this point. "Devil's // Door" sees VCTMS joined by Aiden Versteegh of Falsifier and continues the upsurge in quality on the instumentation. It's non that the earlier tracks are bad, it's just that the album gets progressively better. A massive slow and punchy breakup to close the track is impressive as hell. "Misery // Blooms" has an appearance from Jeremy Torres of Lordis whose recently released "In Between Misery and Aloofness" we reviewed a brusque while ago. Some of the earlier work on the album seems to be a nod in the direction that Lordis have taken but this i is actually 1 that doesn't. Instead VCTMS play to their own strengths, delivering a pacey Melodic Deathcore tune which builds through some powerful atmospheric lead parts earlier coming to an nigh abrupt close.

"The Past Tense" sees Tyler Shelton of Traitors partaking in some seriously bowl moving low gutturals. It's always going to be heavily where the Traitors frontman is involved and after what sounds like a helicopter taking off VCTMS deliver some of their best fabric. A surprise guitar solo even makes an appearance. Information technology's a os crushing breakup that accompanies Shelton's skull crushing vocal to close the track in plumbing equipment mode. Title runway "Halfway // Happy" features another rap afterwards a spoken word sample intro over a programmed drum loop. It's broken up past some clean vocals that improve as the runway plays through. It'south a haunting and melodic affair that seems somewhat out of place but also acts as a palette cleanser for the final rail. "Was It Worth It" features Patrick Somoulay of Reflectionsand is another melody which mashes upward the styles, bouncing between song killer basslines and stuccato riffage over a haunting melody. A ripping guitar solo brings the melody and the anthology to a shut.

There is no mistaking the quality of the musicianship on "Halfway Happy". The tracks ebb and flow nicely, each one brusk and to the point musically and showcasing a decent degree of songwriting ability. The songs have been designed to flow between each other nicely and the segwaying between the songs when used is pretty sugariness. The issues are more than around the lyrical content, whereby the consistency of high level introspection detracts overall after a number of spins. It'due south something that many Nu-Metal bands suffer from and the electric current crop are no different. That being said, it's still a decent album and the guests add a sparkle. [7.5/10]

Track listing

1. Enquire Yourself
2. Crippling // Form
three. Tape Worm (feat. Connor)
iv. A Lonely Place of Dying (feat. Kadeem France of Loathe)
5. Cognitive // Closure
6. Beautifully // Depressing
7. Stasis (feat. Frankie Palmeri of Emmure)
viii. Devil's // Door (feat. Aiden Versteegh of Falsifier)
9. Misery // Blooms (feat. Jeremy Torres of Lordis)
10. The Past Tense (feat. Tyler Shelton of Traitors)
11. Halfway // Happy
12. Was It Worth It? (feat. Patrick Somoulay of Reflections)

"Volume 3: Halfway Happy" by VCTMS is out at present and available over at bandcamp.

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Source: https://metalnoise.net/2018/09/review-volume-iii-halfway-happy-by-vctms