Review: (V.E.G.A.) - “Far From You” (2009)
The schizophrenic, electronics-tinged brand of metal (V.E.G.A.) displayed on 2002’s “Cocaine” and the last year’s “Alienforest” was a pretty clear indication that this is no ordinary metal band. But even with their previous output, the highly experimental nature of “Far From You,” the band’s most recent release, comes as a bit of a surprise. (V.E.G.A.)’s description of the album as “unclassifiable music” which will “take you away through a journey into the unknown, far from yourselves, lost in nowhere…” is actually a pretty accurate one. There are hints of metal, long electronic and ambient sections, and bits of post-rock thrown in at various places on the album. Songs range from nostalgic and spacey to downright disturbing. While it’s definitely not the (V.E.G.A.) that we may have expected, one has to admit that their talent for metal is equalled by the skill they display on “Far From You” while indulging their more experimental side.
The album’s opener, ‘9 rooms,’ is a great example of the blend of styles and tones that (V.E.G.A.) so skillfully manipulates throughout the album. It begins with a meandering dual guitar riff, and then transitions to spacey electronics and hushed keyboards before giving way to an all-out post-rock finale. The surprising and impressive thing about this and other tracks on the album is that none of these transitions and shifts in texture seem forced or out-of-place; instead each new passage sounds like a continuation of the previous one.
The rest of the album is a similar blend of ambient electronica, samples and other elements. Of particular note is ‘4 AM’, which is easily the darkest and most disturbing track on the album. While most of “Far From You” is pretty mellow and easy to lose yourself in, ‘4 AM’ presents the listener with what can only be described as an audio depiction of insanity - various hints of music, voices and other things drift in and out while constant persistent background noise pulses in the background, punctuated by a very unsettling intermittent sound which eventually becomes the dominant element in the mix.
So will fans of (V.E.G.A.)’s past releases be able to appreciate the material on “Far From You?” Certainly it’s almost impossible to recognize the music as having been created by the same band that cranked out songs like ‘Insex Infect’ or ‘Kill Me.’ Guitars and traditional metal drumming are only present in a few places over the course of the album, and aggressive vocals are completely absent. What remains, however, is (V.E.G.A.)’s ability to create mind-altering and unpredictable music that seamlessly mix elements from different genres. It’s kind of like The Axis of Perdition’s more ambient creations, but without the horror element. Obviously, fans of outright brutal metal will find little to enjoy, but those who can appreciate original and evocative music similar to some of the more abstract tracks (V.E.G.A.) has released in the past should find that “Far From You” is a pleasant surprise.
