Vola – Friend of a Phantom

I struggled to get into Vola for a while. Whenever a band is labeled “progressive”, I expect a certain degree of complexity and technicality, but with Vola, I always found their songs to be very straightforward and simple. They have some subtle technicalities for sure, but on the surface, I think they might actually be the most radio friendly prog band I know. There’s nothing wrong with that, but when a band creates a formula and sticks to it, I start feeling like I want more from them than just the formula. That is certainly the case with their latest album, “Friend of a Phantom“. But I still found it a very enjoyable listen overall.

Anyone who’s familiar with the band’s previous work should know what to expect. They’re loyal to their sound and not exactly reinventing themselves with this album. But for those who don’t know, I will dive a bit into the compositional elements. All the songs follow a generic song structure of verses, choruses and a bridge. I do like that often, the riff or pattern changes on the 2nd verse compared to the first one (‘Cannibal’, ‘Hollow Kid’). The opening riff or a variation of it, often also ends up being the riff behind the chorus (‘Cannibal’, ‘Break My Lying Tongue’). The music is often more groovy and rhythmic during the verses and it grows more lush, open and melodic in the chorus. Their heaviest moments, like some screams or breakdowns are often saved for the bridge section (‘Bleed Out’, ‘Paper Wolf’). Since vocalist Asger Mygind is also the band’s only guitarist, it’s interesting to see how reliant on the bass the music gets. There are some sick guitar riffs for sure. ‘Paper Wolf’ has my favourite ones. But the verses are often just built on bass and a drum groove (‘Break My Lying Tongue’).

Vola – Cannibal (feat. Anders Frieden)

I feel like a lot of the atmosphere is created through the variety of sounds on the keyboard and through various production effects. The keys are often very breezy and synthy, sometimes adding some string sections and also carrying most of the melodic themes in the songs. The layering of keyboard sounds as well as the layering if multiple vocal tracks is what makes their sound very rich and vibrant, and allows for a lot of ebb and flow throughout the songs. There are also some electronic effects and beats, most noticeable on the ballad ‘Glass Mannequin’ and on ‘Bleed Out’.

Asger’s vocals alternate very easily between head voice and chest voice. He often saves his highest notes for the choruses, where the whole soundscape seems to open and move upward. His emotional delivery is a bit one-sided. Most of the times he just comes across as warm, comfortable and relaxing. I guess there’s an undertone of melancholy as well, but it’s pretty subtle. For the most part I find the music chill and peaceful. It’s only when they drop into some banger riffs that it starts feeling a bit more angry. I feel like ‘Bleed Out’ is an exception, coming across as the darkest, most ominous song on the record. There’s also some fuzzy vocal filtering on the verses in that song, that makes everything a bit colder and more menacing. Having this one and ‘Glass Mannequin’ breaking the pattern a bit surely did a lot to prevent the album from coming across too repetitive. The same applies for the fantastic guest appearance of In Flames vocalist Anders Frieden on the opening track, ‘Cannibal’.

Vola – Bleed Out

Lyrically, I don’t know what to make of it. The lyrics seem to describe scenes, feelings and images in a somewhat random manner. You could say it’s a bit abstract and definitely open to interpretation. I’d take a leap to assume that the meaning of the songs is intentionally left vague, or even that there isn’t an intended meaning at all, but a free flowing collection of thoughts and feelings. This is all speculation though.

And there you have it. Vola’s new album sounds like Vola playing Vola music. It’s not very surprising, but it is a pleasant listen, and one that I’d especially recommend to the stressed, anxious or overwhelmed human beings out there. It’s the kind if album that makes me want to sit back, relax, close my eyes, and just take it in on a sensory level. No need to overthink this one. Just roll with it.

Track List:

1. Cannibal (feat. Anders Frieden) (05:02)
2. Break My Lying Tongue (03:50)
3. We Will Not Disband (04:25)
4. Glass Mannequin (03:48)
5. Bleed Out (06:04)
6. Paper Wolf (04:27)
7. I Don’t Know How We Got Here (03:33)
8. Hollow Kid (04:41)
9. Tray (05:03)