Despite it being just a little over two years as a band, Vower probably don’t need an introduction. With members from Black Peaks, Palm Reader, and Toska among their ranks, you’d expect a high level of quality from their output. Last year’s debut EP, ‘Apricity,’ considerably set the bar high with a strong set of songs. 14 months on, its follow-up, ‘A Storm Lined With Silver,’ arrives with a bold task of surpassing its predecessor.
Having toured and played several festivals together, it’s clear that time on the road has benefitted the quintet. On the surface, these six tracks are sharper and more impactful. Take recent single, ‘Stuck,’ for instance. Explosive and gritty, it sees Josh McKeown’s soaring, biting tongue go to war with Liam Kearley’s dynamic drumwork. At the same time, guitarists Rabea Massaad and Joe Gosney saw through the density with ravenous riffs.
‘Moth Becomes The Flame’ drifts in with deep, sparse piano keys, creating tension. It’s a compelling opening that pays off thanks to its full-throttle surge. Again, Kearley’s penetrative drums brilliantly clash with the wall of noise that Massaad, Gosney, and bassist Rory McLean produce.
Among the musical prowess of Vower, there is McKeown’s distinctive, soaring vocals routinly stealing the show. ‘Satellites’ sees his towering voice go above the rugged progressive post-hardcore, resulting in one of the EP’s standout moments. While EP finale, ‘Serpent,’ exemplifies McKeown and company’s ability to stir up emotion. As he wrestles with a metaphorical serpent, venturing into his “own unknown,” his bandmates brilliantly build to a staggering conclusion. As Massaad and Gosney trade dynamic riffs, McLean and Kearley provide a crushing rhythm section.
The lyrical weight of McKeown is threaded throughout ‘A Storm Lined With Silver’. Whether that’s wanting to change on ‘Dawn I Me’, or being confrontational on ‘Deadweight’, his words carry as much heftiness as does the venomous musical assault his bandmates deliver.
There is no doubt Vower are destined for bigger things. The quintet’s powerful blend of prog, post-metal, and post-hardcore continues to be technically sharp. ‘A Storm Lined With Silver’ merely adds the momentum started on ‘Apricity,’ and sees Vower become a stronger unit. One that is more cerebral in their execution, allowing their sound to be bold and raw in equal measure.
‘A Storm Lined With Silver’ by Vower is released on November 14th.
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