Forward Without Motion

Vehemence is band that always stood out for me. Their brand of brutalised melodic death metal was one of a kind back in the early 2000's, and when I heard they were doing a comeback album I was intrigued. Would their sound in itself be obsolete, or would they simple not be able to recreate the magic of an album like their 2002 release "God Was Created"? What made that album so interesting was how it seamlessly pulled together classic US death metal with melodic and progressive influences, both in terms of style and songwriting.

After a few spins, my doubts were quenched by a surprisingly energised and relevant Vehemence. However, this album is far from a remake of "God Was Created". The songwriting feels more progressive and varied in its nature, and I hear a Cynic and mid-era Death influence that wasn't present in the band's arsenal before. Opening tune "I Don't Want To Look Inside" begins with a tapping lick quite reminiscent of Death classic "The Philosopher", while "A Dark Figure In The Distance" sounds like a death metal version of newer Cynic.

These two tunes (my favorites on the record) are well over the 7 minute mark and really showcases the full dynamic range of the band. While branching out in this progressive direction, the band also manages to keep the brutality intact. Most of the tracks rely on a solid backbone of quality US death metal riffs mixed with the occasional higher note black metal tremolo. The drummer complements this by doing way more than simply keeping the beat. There is a lot of quirky percussion stuff on here that finds me moving my hands and feet along with the music more than usually.

But what about vocals? I'm happy to say that Nathan Gearheart holds the same high standard as on the old Vehemence records. His death metal growl is as deep as ever, and he also does delivers a range of higher screams. I would say the mix between these vocal styles are about 50/50, which isn't a bad idea since it keeps the extreme highs and lows from losing their dynamic edge.

Overall, this is a highly technical effort. Lead and clean guitars are constantly morphing and the songs rarely keep a similar beat for long. The focus on songwriting is still intact, so it is by no means a wankfest. Production sounds professional while not taking away the edge of the music. "Forward Without Motion" feels relevant and fresh. I can only congratulate the band on still standing out in an overcrowded genre.