VOLA – “Inmazes” [Album Review]

VOLA simply don’t know what type of band they want to be, and quite frankly, that’s the beauty behind their debut album, Inmazes. VOLA toss and turn in the rarely travelled space that separates metallic mayhem and electronic ecstasy. At one moment, listeners will be moved to headbanging with reckless abandon only to be swallowed up by an ethereal swell of synthesizers or thrown into oblivion by a massive – and catchy – chorus moments later.

Cuts like “Starburn” and “Stray The Skies” showcase this quartet’s penchant for combining thick, uncompromising riffs with soothing, atmospheric melodies. Lead singer and guitarist Asger Mygind’s tenor skirts along the instrumentation in a smooth and seductive manner, not unlike Gavin Hayes’ tenor of dredg notoriety. When Mygind does decide to provide the occasional scream, like on the aforementioned “Starburn,” it’s fittingly placed and used to accent the dynamics of the song.

Listeners would be wise to wrap themselves within VOLA’s swirling, massive soundscapes. Just dive into the dreamy first half of “Feed The Creatures” or groove effortlessly to the stargazing, piano accented verses of “Gutter Moon” and just listen. Oh, and don’t forget to slip away into the ether of the sparse and introspective “Emily” because just around the bend is the pummeling “A Stare Without Eyes” and the grandiose, stratospheric title track, “Inmazes”.

Honestly, VOLA’s Inmazes is bound to reward anyone willing to give the record a spin. This quartet blurs the line between brutality and beauty better than most bands these days and Inmazes is only their debut album! So, buckle in and get ready for an out of this world musical roller-coaster ride because you’ll be flying high on a melody one second only to be plummeted down into a down-tuned free fall the next – and believe me, you will never want the experience known as VOLA’s Inmazes to end.

Track Listing:

01. The Same War
02. Stray The Skies
03. Starburn
04. Owls
05. Your Mind Is A Helpless Dreamer
06. Emily
07. Gutter Moon
08. A Stare Without Eyes
09. Feed The Creatures
10. Inmazes

Run Time: 51:36
Release Date: February 2, 2015

Check out the album ‘Inmazes’