On the Edge

Often, a band’s name and cover art alone suffice to catch my interest. This is true of the American band Volture, as their Shocking Its Prey EP (2011) instantly drew me in. I remember delighting in the laid back and rocking cheesiness of “Volture” and “Heavy Metal Machine” before stumbling across their first full-length release, On The Edge, in 2013.

Right away, you can tell they’ve polished up their sound (which is often the case between demos and first releases) and applied themselves to delivering a nice, compact and solid effort. On the other hand, the album comes across as slightly too congruous for its own good. Separately, all nine tracks are competent and well played, yet as whole, they sound prosaic, adhering to a tried and true method that could still benefit from innovation, if only to unleash the beast I know resides within. Regardless, Volture's On The Edge makes for an enjoyable listen. I wouldn’t quite call it a masterpiece, but it has its moments.

It all begins with the self-titled track, drawing you in with its NWOBHM style guitar riffs and Jack Bauer’s high-pitched vocals. It also sets the tone for the remainder of the album’s short duration =- roughly 34 minutes. As stated, their formula is steady and won't disappoint. The main guitar riffs are quite impressive, such as on "Hot Wired" and "Heatseeker", even if leads aren’t particularly spectacular. However, it’s important to keep in mind the band is still in its infancy; the members' potential and passion are evident. As for bass and drums, they assure a groovy 70s rock style vibe.

On vocals, Jack Bauer does a fairly good job except for over crooning on “Desert Pursuit”, also going overboard with his wails on “Rock You Hard". In fairness, the chorus’ generally hit the mark, notably the one from “Ride the Night”, where he paints a fitting image of the band’s bravado:

"We chase the night until the dawn breaks up ahead
The fire burns inside it drives us to the edge
And all I see turns into dust beneath my wheels
The motor runs and the road is all I feel"

He then settles in on “Brethren of the Coast” and “Hot Wired”. Lyrical themes range from seedy and lewd undertones (“Heatseeker”) and pirate lore (“Brethren of the Coast”) to straight up rebellion and lawlessness (“Hot Wired”). Personally, I’m inclined towards the pure metal blitz of “On The Edge” or “Ride The Night”, alongside doomsday-themed “Nightrance”.

The rubber meets the road on “Heatseeker”, my top track, for which the main guitar riff sounds totally badass due to its sheer straight-forwardness. Looking back, On the Edge is a decent album worthy of inclusion within any traditional heavy metal fan’s record collection. Mahybe the next time around, they'll mesh the rawness and brawn of their demo with refined tone of their debut to produce a stand-out sophomore release.