REVIEW: Vanna – “The Few and the Far Between” (2013)

Artist:  Vanna [Facebook] [Twitter]

Album:  “The Few and the Far Between”

Tracklist:

1. The Few and the Far Between
2. The Lost Art of Staying Alive
3. Year of the Rat
4. I Said I’m Fine
5. Casket Rhythm
6. The Weekly Slap In the Face
7. Please Stay
8. A Thin Place
9. The Dreamer, the Thief, the Relic
10. When In Roam
11. His Heels

Hardcore kings in their own right, the Boston five-piece Vanna are back from some killer shows and tours to break bones and eardrums with their new record, “The Few and the Far Between.”  Only two years after releasing their last album, Vanna have put together another classic-to-be – sure to be both pain and pleasure to the ears, because these boys don’t let up, ever.  Anyone who has seen Vanna live or has listened to any of their music can tell you that you can always expect the best from these guys, and that doesn’t change here – not a single bit.  Now, no more introductions – here’s “The Few and the Far Between”:

The Good:

This record even starts out good, putting us in the mood with the intro, titled after the record – this intro just sounds rough and angry, nasty even.  You’re just left with this rough intro, pushing you and pushing you, then “The Lost Art of Staying Alive” hits and you’re thrown into the mix and thrown through an assault of angry, powerful and pounding.  This record, honestly, is absolutely over the top.  Of course, Vanna has always had that hardcore edge – I mean to say, their music didn’t seem to be entirely hardcore, having post-hardcore and melodic elements mixed in deeply, but this record smashed right through that.  Of course they kept the melodies – that’s just the Vanna way – but this record blows everything else out of the water.  They took their hardcore sound to the next level, showing their stuff and putting together a sound that blows even big names like Hatebreed out of the way.  This album is a hit, filled to the top with brutality and anger – a true hardcore album, but that isn’t a surprise, considering who this is we’re talking about.  All of these songs are perfect for listening to through headphones and for losing your mind to in concert – the second of these two probably being the preferable, though, because let’s be honest – this music is going to sound insane live.

The Bad:

There isn’t much negative to say about this record.  There are only a few instances of the lacking of the melodies that Vanna has spent time surprising their audiences with in the midst of some pretty heavy stuff.  These things aside, anything else found wrong here would simply be personal.

Overall:

This is an amazing piece from Vanna and would bring any hardcore junky to tears – or, well, make them go absolutely crazy in the pits.  Make sure to give this album a listen and definitely anticipate shows from these guys to get even more insane when these songs go all out.  These boys have put their all into this record, and the payoff will be sweet!

Stand-Out Track:

“Please Stay”:  This song just feels so gripping, so controlling.  It begins with this off and creepy sound, the guitars playing in the midst of silence, then suddenly we hear the lyrics – lyrics that bring only more chills down the listeners spine.  The instruments begin to play, building up more and more the sound to come – a slow drum beat, a heavy bass, the feint singing of a young woman, more angst filled screams and… Bam!  Everything comes together, picks up, speeds up, drops back to the “chorus sound” and continues to leave the listener in a daze.  This song stands out because it, honestly, sounds nothing at all like the rest of the album.  I like it, and you definitely will too – for sure.

Closing:

Not missing a single thing, Vanna have put together quite the masterpiece.  This is going to be an unforgettable record in the Vanna library, in hardcore music and in music period.  This scene would be closer to dead without these guys keeping it alive.  Pick this CD up and you won’t be disappointed, because every track is just absolutely marvelous.  “The Few and the Far Between” is available on the nineteenth of March and will be available through iTunes and the band’s Merchnow.  Long live hardcore!

Rating:  9 / 10

For Fans Of:  Every Time I Die, Lionheart, For the Fallen Dreams