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Vile Regression hail from Dublin, Ireland, and consist of Brian Brady and Baz Christie on guitars, Kenn Christie on bass, Robb Behan on drums, and Padraig Croke on vocals. The band’s latest release, Empires, will be released this July and this is what I thought.
Track one, “Tides”, opens with solid drumming and guitars which remind me of Gojira. The band waste no time with a timid introduction as this song bursts into life. Robb Behan’s drumming is in a constant state of flux between beats and the changes he executes are seamless. Padcraig’s vocals are enjoyable as he growls energetically throughout this song. 0:48 features the lead in to the chorus which is slower and more deliberate. The whole track is powerful and energetic.
“Raze the Complexity” follows and, while maintaining the energy brought forth so far, this song is completely different. This song is more of a constant bombardment of groovy riffs and rhythms that do not compromise on the heavy side of things at all. 2:31 sees a steady beat made for a headbang; it’s a perfect addiction to the song.
The next track, “Dream of the Red Chamber”, is one minute long and comprises of mellow, acoustic guitars that are a beautiful intermission on “Empires”. It is unexpected but not unenjoyable at all as it lulls the listener into a false sense of security before the next track.
“Thought Replication” is a perfect opposite in that it in a brutal assault on the ears, made more effective by the fact is follows such acoustic beauty. The wonderful guitar tone is continued from the previous song and the vocals maintain every bit as dynamic.
This is followed by “The Abstract”. This track is another showcase of excellent metal from Vile Regression as they remain every bit as powerful here. The time signature changes within this song are smooth and the guitars are chunky, with the odd solo.
“Down to the Sunless Sea” the penultimate track is another beautiful and mellow song which only lasts for 50 seconds. This time the guitars are not acoustic and there is a light drum beat in the back ground as well as some bass. This track reflects its title in representing the idea of a beach sunset.
The final track, “The Empyrean Divide”, is a return to the brutality which Vile Regression excel at. This track seems that much darker for having followed the mellowness of the previous track. This song features guitar solos that reach new heights of epic for “Empires” which means that when the song ends, the listener is left wanting to hear more from them (at least I did).
Overall I would say Empires is well worth listening to, although it might not be for everyone with the mix of genres that feature within. I am definitely interested in seeing Vile Regression live now after hearing this.
Review by Eileen Bate
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