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Vex > Thanatopsis > Reviews > Musical Warfare
Vex - Thanatopsis

A Pleasant Surprise - 78%

Musical Warfare, August 24th, 2012

Not being much of a fan of death metal anymore, I love finding death metal bands whose styles are a little bit outside the norm. Texas’s Vex definitely fits that description - right from the first few notes of their debut Thanatopsis it’s obvious these guys are trying to forge their own path. Production-wise, Thanatopsis almost sounds more like a black metal album with a rather subdued, decayed guitar sound, and the actual riffing often eschews brutality in favor of undulating, layered harmonies and tremolo riffs. With a sound that varies from melodic to brutal to sometimes almost doomy, Vex is musically one of the most interesting death metal bands I’ve come across lately.

Unfortunately, the vocals don’t hold up their end of the deal. The raspy, higher-pitched delivery doesn’t really blend too well with the music texturally or rhythmically, and since the vocals are mixed pretty high they’re difficult to ignore. Thanatopsis ends up being a pretty good album despite that flaw, but during the lengthy instrumental portions I often found myself wondering what these guys would sound like with a different style of vocals at the helm. With such amazing songwriting and captivating riffing going on in the background, it’s a shame that the vocals detract from what’s going on musically.

Still, Vex is obviously a band to have on your radar and Thanatopsis is an excellent listen. With an album that’s as varied and captivating musically as this one, with its multifaceted and often unpredictable riffing, it’s crazy imagining what they’ll put out after another year or two of honing their craft.

(Originally written for Musical Warfare)