Style: Progressive metal, avant-garde (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Arcturus, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Leprous’s first two albums
Country: Norway
Release date: 27 September 2013
In the fall of 2013, two newly released albums—both coincidentally named after symbolic, elevated landmarks—filled my headphones incessantly and etched their way into my brain forever: Haken’s monumental The Mountain, and Vulture Industries’ lesser-known The Tower. The former launched Haken into prog royalty and has stood proudly as one of the genre’s modern peaks, while the latter created some short-lived cult buzz and has since remained all but abandoned. I won’t cry ‘Injustice!’ or argue here that The Tower deserves the same exalted fate as The Mountain, but a dozen years ago I held them in the same regard—and to this day, I still do.
The Tower is a work that simultaneously sounds like everything else and nothing else out there—to me, that’s what makes it so magnetic. To use a needlessly pretentious analogy, replace a wine connoisseur tasting a complex red with a seasoned listener sampling this release: ‘Ah, yes, a full Arcturus body with strong notes of Tom Waits and Nick Cave theatrics; oh, some hints of Devil Doll and Faith No More, perhaps with early Leprous undertones as well…’ You get the point. But The Tower is much more than its influences. Vulture Industries spun whatever inspiration they had gathered into a work that is distinctly their own, striking a delicate balance between fresh and familiar. Accessible, but never bland.
The Tower’s titular opening track perfectly depicts the album’s ‘like everything else and nothing else’ sound. Beginning with rapid double bass drumming, accompanying guitar, and a drooping saxophone accentuating the melody, Vulture Industries appear to fit in neatly with other Norwegian metal and avant-garde artists of the period. Bjørnar Nilsen’s baritone voice belts out over a well-written and somewhat standard verse and chorus, and then the real fun begins:
‘Rule number one!’ Nilsen shouts, in a demented, authoritative tone. ‘Each man is what he owns. Whether or not one truly exists is a question of having things.’ ‘Rule number two!’ he continues, still with a deranged yell. ‘Things have purpose while the only purpose of flesh is to possess them.’
Nilsen goes on to manically list five rules of the authoritarian, hyper-consumerist and decaying society that The Tower brings to life, before the band switches abruptly yet naturally into a smooth, groovy bridge carried by a sax lead. Not long after, Nilsen gives what sounds like his best Gollum impression in another bridge that’s sandwiched between two melodic choruses—and somehow it all works. We’re hardly three minutes into the album and the scope of the quirky ride we’re in for is already clear.
Nilsen’s theatrical vocals focus just as much (or more) on dramatic storytelling as on technical delivery, and his vocal ingenuity plays a large part in separating The Tower from the endless other releases that spend a shorter time living between my ears. Two particular moments grabbed me on my very first listen and haven’t let go in the twelve intervening years: the collection of spirited calls and militaristic responses toward the end of “Divine – Appalling,” and the way Nilsen bursts out into the chorus of “The Pulse of Bliss” following his subdued, raspy verses—‘Blood upon stone! Consecrate, unify!’ (Goosebumps every time.) The whole album is chock full of such moments, adding up to a vocal performance that, in my case, I can describe as ‘unforgettable’ without being hyperbolic.
As instrumentalists and composers, Vulture Industries are no slouches either. “Blood on the Trail” is a prime example of just how well the band carries out its more standard metal fare, and the tightly composed “Divine – Appalling” and “The Pulse of Bliss” each showcase a strong rhythm section and an array of infectious riffs. Meanwhile, waltzy bars of 3/4 carry the epic “The Hound” on an eclectic and brooding journey through several of The Tower’s dynamics. There’s the eccentric, twisted ballad “The Dead Won’t Mind,” which could be at home on Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Murder Ballads, and there’s the lush, emotional cut “Lost Among Liars” providing delightful contrast a few tracks later. Whether throwing down heavy riffage or wandering off on cabaret-inspired diversions replete with bouncy keys, Vulture Industries do it with grace. The ‘like everything else’ and ‘like nothing else’ aspects of The Tower’s sound coalesce masterfully into a work that has aged like a fine… no, not this analogy again!
Ultimately, The Tower’s effect as a complete package is what makes it worth profiling all these years later. Maybe once in a career (or, like seven times if you’re Death or Iron Maiden) a band will formulate a vision or concept that transcends other works of its ilk and execute each detail with intent. Between the dark, sardonic artwork adorning the album’s cover and the colorful lyrical metaphors of each track—breathing new life into tired topics like the dangers of authoritarianism and consumerism—Vulture Industries craft a thick, alluring atmosphere; they then materialize it artfully with diverse yet harmonious compositions and performances never lacking in character. Cliché as this praise may be, The Tower is not just a collection of excellent songs but also an immersive plunge into the evocative world Vulture Industries have created.
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Witnessing an album you love catapult a band to (very relative) stardom is one of the great joys of following music outside the mainstream, and since the fall of 2013 I’ve felt a certain connection to Haken and The Mountain because of this. But there’s also a satisfying ‘in the know’ feeling that comes with taking another listen through Vulture Industries’ little-known contemporary counterpart and thinking, ‘Man, folks out there don’t know what they’re missing.’ Of course, here at The Subway, we’re selflessly willing to sacrifice some hipster-esque satisfaction and shine a light on gems buried deep in the underground—or, in The Tower’s case, an obscure peak off in the distance. Vulture Industries’ cult classic has quietly accompanied me through over a decade of sweeping life changes,1 and our modest platform is a fitting place to heap some well-deserved recognition upon it.
Recommended tracks: The Tower, Divine – Appalling, The Hound, The Pulse of Bliss, Lost Among Liars
You may also like: Hail Spirit Noir, Unexpect, OMB, Dog Fashion Disco, Dissona
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page
Label: Season of Mist – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website
Vulture Industries is:
– Kyrre Teigen (bass)
– Tor Helge Gjengedal (drums, percussion)
– Eivind Huse (guitars)
– Øyvind Madsen (guitars, keyboards)
– Bjørnar Nilsen (vocals, keyboards, percussion, additional guitars)
- Speaking of life changes, I’m getting married this summer and we’re beginning our honeymoon with a day at Hellfest (romantic, I know). As fate would have it, guess who’s playing—Vulture Industries. ↩︎
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