Review: Magnolia Park - VAMP

Review: Magnolia Park – VAMP

Genre-crossing Florida rockers deliver a dark, detailed concept album that stays musically consistent, if not groundbreaking.

Magnolia Park is a band that refuses to be pigeonholed. From the punchy pop-punk of ‘Baku’s Revenge’ to dabbling in metalcore on ‘Do or Die’ to flirtations with EDM, hip-hop, and alt- and hard rock, their output has been musically scattered. ‘VAMP’ is the Florida group’s proper second full-length (excluding the ‘Halloween Mixtapes’) and sees them at their most ambitious.

Centered on a “neo-gothic” concept, ‘VAMP’ involves the turmoil between Aurora X1, a half-cyborg/half-human, and a group known as the Shadow Cult, led by her estranged father, Obsidian. With multiple locations (Nocturne Nexus, the Shrouded Forest, Nether Sky City), and groups and additional characters, Magnolia Park has fleshed a detailed narrative and world-building with ‘VAMP’. Musically, it is the realisation of how they’ve evolved in recent years.

‘Pain’ is a monstrous, stomping juggernaut of an opener that firmly sees them settle into alt-/hard rock and metalcore territory. Tracks such as ‘Shadow Talk’ and ‘Cult’ keep up the momentum with big, heavy guitars as Joshua Roberts shows off his strong melodies and visceral screams. Furthermore, there’s a cinematic, often sinister, tone which threads the early tracks, simply adding to the conceptual approach.

Although it’s maintained throughout, Magnolia Park‘s tenancy for bombastic alt-rock isn’t always effectively executed. ‘Crave’ battles through in the same vein of ‘VAMP‘s early tracks yet gets lost in the mix. However, this is a band who aren’t afraid to cross genres, and ‘VAMP’ does just that. For example, ‘Shallow’ provides one of the most effective (admittedly simple) hooks and is complemented by a slick nu-metal density. ‘The Screams’ also leans into Linkin Park-esque nu-metal, before ‘Omen’ blends crushing metalcore with EDM and machine gun drumming. It’s never jarringly executed, partly thanks to the wall of distortion provided by guitarist Tristan Torres and Freddie Criales.

This can also be credited to the production team of Torres, Criales, and bassist Vincent Erns. Along with outside producers Andrew Wade, Hiram Hernandez, and Andy Karpovck. Together, they’ve honed in a bombastic, tightly produced sound. In turn, it allows them to show flashes of Magnolia Park‘s versatilty yet provide a tonal cohesiveness.

Album closer, ‘Ophelia’ (named after Aurora X1’s adopted sister), takes a step back. With Roberts’ distant vocals, it’s equally bleak and grandiose, elevating Magnolia Park‘s emotional capabilities. The chorus line “where do we go when we die” blurs the line of fantasy and Roberts’ own insecurities.

Without a doubt, Magnolia Park has pulled off such an ambitious concept. The world of ‘VAMP’ can be immersive, especially if you’re a fan of anime, sci-fi, and, of course, vampires. However, its intricate narrative doesn’t overshadow the album’s musical output. Their former pop-punk hook remains, yet they’ve joined by a bold, heavy sound that perfectly plays into the murky world they’ve created. Sure, they don’t break any new stylistic ground we haven’t heard elsewhere, but ‘Vamp’ does show Magnolia Park can be consistent.

‘VAMP’ by Magnolia Park is released on April 11th on Epitaph Records.