We last heard from Bedfordshire’s V / V E G A just under a year ago when they released ‘Leaving Lyra’, an acclaimed EP centred around a compelling ambient progressive metal sound. Since its release last Autumn, the band have gone through what they call an “identity crisis”, as well as becoming a three-piece.
“Our bassist at the time didn’t feel that he could juggle the band and a full-time career so unfortunately he left. So, now the line-up has slightly rejigged; Tom has moved from guitar to bass & vocals, Edd (me) now does vocals as well as guitar and Jim does drums and vocals,” explained Edd, “One of the major changes is that all three of us now sing, which is something quite new and scary for us but it’s exciting and we think it gives us a unique edge we didn’t have before.”
Their new album, ‘Last Archive’, is a new start for the trio; an altered line-up and a new, expansive sound that aims to open up new doors for the band. On the change, Edd said “we all found that, although we made and played in the style of intense metal, it wasn’t an entirely true reflection of our own personal tastes. We wanted this to be the start of something truly dynamic and colourful, this meant crossing genres and moods.”
‘Last Archive’ is a labour of love for V / V E G A. Recorded, produced and self-released by the band, they have built an admirable work ethic that shines through on the album. It allowed them to take complete control, Edd told us how their decision came about; “we had always worked with producers, all of whom brought really new, interesting elements to the table, so for a while we were debating this. I had around 50 demo’s recorded in the lead up to this release and as demo’s go, the quality wasn’t bad! So our decision to self-record this album came down to a couple of reasons. Firstly, to record a 12-track album would have cost us much more than we could ever afford and secondly, this time, we could have full creative control over the process and its results. We wanted to continue this ethic by doing artwork ourselves, as well as the releasing process.”
With the album all recorded, V / V E G A have decided to release it track-by-track. Today, Already Heard is premiering the second track – ‘Leecher’. It highlights the trio’s new, atmospheric and harmonious style, demonstrating the tri-vocal work. On the track, Edd said “in the world of illegal downloads (which we don’t agree with) when a person downloads via a torrent without giving any upload back, they’re known as a ‘Leecher’. We saw this as a fitting metaphor for man’s impact on Earth, constantly taking and giving nothing in return.”
Stylistically, it highlights the band’s ability to transcend their rock/metal foundation. “In my opinion, developing an equal interest in music styles other than rock and metal is a crucial foundation if you want to write original music.” says Edd, “loud rock happens to be the core of the writing outcome for V / V E G A, but we hope the subtle influences of other genres shine through.”
V / V E G A links: Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp
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