Style: Progressive Power Metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Dream Theater, DGM, Scar Symmetry, Haken (Vector/Virus era)
Review by: Sam
Country: Sweden
Release date: 31 March, 2023
Out of all the music that I listen to, progressive power metal is my bread and butter. When done well, it scratches the itch for just about everything I look for in music: expressive vocals, riffs that go hard without being overbearing or relying on chugs, impactful melodies, dynamic songwriting that goes to places while still feeling grounded, and blistering solos. It’s a genre that in many ways strikes the perfect balance for me. I can listen to it in almost any mood and feel satisfied. Sadly for me though, it is also a genre which has largely died off since djent took over and turned prog metal into a more rhythm-oriented genre. Good albums are rare, and innovative ones are near obsolete. Nearly all of the innovation I’ve seen in the past five years has been from hyper-obscure independent groups like Maestrick, Tanagra, or Mortanius for whom a regular release and touring schedule seems to be impossible.
Enter Vedalia, another hyper-obscure, independent prog-power group who takes forever to make a new album and also does not seem to have the ability to go on tour. Their debut album Radiance came out in 2017 and I have not seen a single piece of evidence on their Facebook page that they have done a live sho- C’MON GUYS START TOURING ALREADY, I’M STARVING!!! Anyway… we’re here to talk about their music. Live shows are for people who have a life. We can’t have that in here.
The core sound of the band is familiar enough: chonky riffs, soaring vocals, flashy guitar solos and synth playing, etc. Where Vedalia distinguishes themselves is by how they dress up these familiar elements. There’s a Trivium feeling to the way the clean vocals are written and performed, and they often incorporate melodic death metal sections with harsh vocals (most reminiscent of Scar Symmetry). They are also not shy to throw in left field elements or twists into their writing like electronic samples or waltz breaks. It’s not that any of these ideas are particularly new or groundbreaking in the grand scheme of things, but the specific combination that the band molds them in gives them identity.
But of course, the most important thing is the quality of the compositions, and Vedalia does well in that regard. Like any good prog metal ought to, their compositions are dynamic with plenty of contrasting sections and interesting developments as any given song progresses. This variety also translates from song to song, which goes a long way in offsetting the album’s lengthy 68 minute runtime. They lay a good amount of emotion on top of a solid technical foundation, giving longevity to the songs beyond just showmanship. There are many softer sections with heartfelt vocals and piano that hit right in the feels, and the playing otherwise is quite tasteful all around. As a fan of early Evergrey in particular I greatly appreciate this stuff.
But I do have some issues. I found the production to be rather grating in some aspects. The drum cymbals are much too loud, and the synths often have this piercing sound which hurts my ears. It ends up sounding rather muddy and slightly grating overall. There’s also an issue with the writing. While the band mixes many different genres into their core sound, many sections end up being rather generic, with some ideas being more inspired than others. For example, “Among the Stars” feels like a very average prog-power tune, while “Surface Tension” does the same but basically better in every aspect with more interesting twists and better vocal hooks. This trend extends to the vocal writing which is hit-or-miss.
Vedalia is a talented band. Cormorant was a blast to listen to, and despite sounding generic at times and some production issues, I never really had a problem with sitting through its 68 minute runtime. There is something here for any other prog-power fan out there. It’s a refreshing, all-around competent take on a stagnant genre. Now for the love of GOD START TOURING ALREADY DAMMIT.
Recommended tracks: Surface Tension, Currents: Severance, Dreams of the Known
You may also like: Chaos Frame, Need, Lost in Thought
Final verdict: 7/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: Independent
Vedalia is:
– Oskar Andersson (lead vocals, bass)
– Oskar Lindmark (guitars)
– Simon Åkerlund (bass, backing vocals)
– Leo Vedberg (drums, backing vocals)
– Victor Hellholm (keyboard, orchestrations, backing vocals)
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