Metal musicians, just like those of other genres, have big shoes to fill. Any modern musician comes at the end of a long line of artists who have defined genres and upended them, producing works that stand the test of time and sit above often petty genre arguments. Other works make a statement but can be drowned out by numerous others aiming to make similar statements.
Thus, to stick out from the crowd, originality is key – that’s the way it works. For an artist to stand out, whether in a crowd of pop artists or rock musicians, they have to be original. The new album from Vantablack Warship, called Abrasive Pulmonic Speak after a lyric on the release, features this necessary originality. Does it fill the shoes left by past musicians? Mostly.
The album might grind some metal fans the wrong way, but being on mostly well intentioned, passionate fans’ good side isn’t always the goal of music production, however.
On Abrasive Pulmonic Speak, the members of Vantablack Warship as led by vocalist Yannick “Pil” Pilon combine hardcore sensibilities with the feel of classic metal. This combination is evident both in the album’s music and its vocals. As for the music, there’s a feeling of the band melodically grinding its way through the album, while through it all Pilon’s harsh but accessible vocals tie the whole thing together.
The music has the feeling of being simultaneously angry and well-developed with a cohesive feel to it all. There’s meaning behind the lyrics, with little aloof philosophizing, which isn’t always a welcome addition to not only metal albums but albums of any genre. On the spectrum of storytelling versus philosophizing, Abrasive Pulmonic Speak is much closer to the former than the latter. It’s a practical metal album with stories to pick through.
Altogether, it’s a worthy successor to the metal records of the past and is worth checking out for fans of “dirty” metal. If you’re into dark metal and give this a listen, you’ll no doubt have a good time – and that’s most of what life’s about anyway, right?
