Fragments of the Forgotten

Vespers Descent formed in Western Australia over 10 years ago, and 2 EPs and 1 full length later, their newest offering “Fragments of the Forgotten” is upon us. I have to admit I’ve never heard any of their previous releases, and my only experience with the band was seeing them live some 9 years or more ago, so my review will not contain comparisons with older material etc.

V.D play a melodic brand of death metal, somewhere in between mid-late 90’s Arch Enemy & At The Gates type fare and modern gear ala I Killed The Prom Queen but with several other influences and sounds intertwined. The first standout element of this release is the production – one of the better self produced (primarily by drummer Ben Mazzarol and guitarist Grant Burns) albums I’ve heard from Australia. Very crisp sounds, but not overtly clinical or lifeless as is so often the case with melodic DM bands. The levels in particular are great, nothing overshadows anything else, and additional layers of guitars in certain sections emerge and decay with impressive precision and application. The only way I can fault the sound is at times the cymbal work is a little quiet.

As the album gets around halfway through, I’m sure I can also hear a strong Katatonia influence, which works pretty well and provides some of my favourite sections. Musically these guys aren’t treading much new territory, it’s all fairly safe and neat, but I get the feeling that’s part of the point for the band. The structures and song writing is quite good, despite it being safe, and the guys can certainly play their instruments. The performance of all instruments on the album is top notch – tight, plenty of energy and some decent shred guitar solos too, which are probably the most technically impressive element of the album. The drumming is solid, appropriate and some sections suggest the guy has some chops. Vocally, Richard Clements has some ability also. He has a nice amount of range, not just sticking to the same style throughout – screams, growls, yelled growls etc. Sometimes it’s a little modern for my liking, but it’s not particularly detractive. Vox patterns are ok, where you’d expect them to be mostly, and the layering utilised at times is to good effect.

Booklet layout is pretty ok, nothing amazing, cover is fairly modern and stock, so nothing much to comment on in this department. The lyrics seem to revolve around human turmoils, inner and societal, and are fairly suitable for the style. Some offer fairly astute observations of the human condition, which is always a nice touch, whereas others are less inspiring.

In summary, this is a solid, well produced affair, which I think lots of people would enjoy. Personally, I found it a bit safe and too caught up trying too hard to be what it is, if that makes sense. The guys can play, they can structure well, but they’re not doing anything that hasn’t been done. It’s metal by numbers, in some respects. I didn’t dislike it, by any stretch, and I was engaged enough during my appraising listen of it – but there was very little that stuck out, and got into my head and heart – which is something I always look for. I think if this band start pushing a few more boundaries, they will be very, very good, but then again, what they’re doing now will probably sell more records, so, it’s eye of the beholder stuff really….