II: Dark Season

Boo! It’s that time of year again. The neighborhood kids are out knocking at your door even though your light’s turned off and you’ve got all the candy to yourself in the basement. Gone are the days where Halloween was all about the loss of teenage innocence, egging your neighbor’s side panelling, and raunchy slasher flicks. Man, I miss the 80s. At least we’ve got Vanik and their nine brand-new Halloween anthems to keep us company.

Vanik’s creative direction is clear when taking into account all factors. Their album artwork, music production, and lyrical themes all scream for the season; the season of Halloween. While not necessarily spooky in the vein of Acid Witch or Hooded Menace, Vanik plays with anthem-like song structures, catchy choruses, singalongs, and simple riffs.

Isn’t it odd how metal changes with the season in terms of fan taste? Year-long we abuse our ears with sonic infestations, plaguing our brains with violent lyrical themes and putrid productions. However, when those two weeks prior to Hallow’s Eve roll around, we soften our palate and listen to corny 80s-themed metal to the likes of Acid Witch and Helloween. I guess the inversion of themes results from a surplus of serious gore and a widespread love for past decades.

There are three general reasons why Dark Season is a success and is the album to be spinning this Halloween: catchiness, creative diversity, and replay-ability.

First off, no matter what angle you look at it, Dark Season boils down to a catchy, groovy, and enjoyable string of Halloween anthems. This isn’t a pop-metal record or anything like that; I see the elitists’ coattails heading for the door already. The record does not suffer from any obvious lack of effort, it simply features a clear emphasis on fun and simple songwriting which fortunately doesn’t grow tiresome, as will be touched upon later. The amount of simple fun riffs on this record is innumerable, my favourites being the intro to “Heresy Undertow” and “One of Us”. Furthermore, vocalist Vanek sings these unbeatably-hooky choruses song after song, allowing for an enjoyable listen throughout.

Secondly, there is an unescapable creative diversity to be found that will undoubtedly amaze listeners and critics alike. The intro song “Dark Season” (which works splendidly I might add) features a talk box solo, I’m pretty sure. I’m no expert on instruments aside from the dubious duo of the guitar/percussion, but there is definitely some weird stuff going on behind the scenes during this track. Furthermore, while I wouldn’t cite the vocalist’s dynamic range as being something more than enjoyable as he tends to stay within the same region throughout the album, there are a few long “oooooh” sections and high-pitched wails that he hits during various songs which delight the listener, namely during “Jack’s Lantern” and “Witch Rites”.

Finally, the ultimate make-or-break of this release lies behind its replayability. One of the dangers of course which couples with such a simple and fun release is that it risks sacrificing replayability for tangible enjoyment. Vanik manages to dodge and parry this unfriendly foe through strong songwriting. Yes, while the nine complete numbers of Dark Season are simple and fun, they’re also built with clever hooks, great choruses, and cement-like song structures. So, while remaining thoroughly-enjoyable to all, hardcore fans will continue to seek more and more of Vanik’s material, despite the absent-minded music, listen after listen. Now, does the record remain listenable without the coupled Halloween season? I don’t think so, but Dark Season will remain an October classic from here on out.

So, there you have it folks. Vanik’s sophomore output will rule this Halloween season with its triple attack of catchiness, creativity, and replayability. While Acid Witch’s Witchtanic Hellucinations will always be held near and dear to my heart, that record turns ten years old on October 24th, and I think we have a new king of Halloween this year.

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