There is no coincidence that VOLA, variety, and vibrance all start with the letter ‘V.’
What’s more heavenly? This album’s chord progressions, the evident emotions, the unique lyricism, or the Earth-shattering, genre-defying blend of heavy metal and indie pop? We have yet to decide. Here at AQ, we have exhausted VOLA’s brand new record, Witness. There are far too many spectacular moments to count and way too many moments that deserve recognition. We’ll dive into just a handful of aspects that truly highlight the talent and prowess of this progressive rock band so that you can get a sense of why it is, without a doubt, their greatest piece of music to date.
Say “Hi!” To Melody: VOLA has always been one for enticing melodies, both vocally and instrumentally. However, this record turns it up another notch – one we never want turned down. Although Witness is exponentially heavier than previous releases, it also gives off an air of professionalism. There are so many layers on this album and many feature complex, yet completely understated, melodies. Songs like “Head Mounted Sideways,” “Napalm,” and “Future Bird” take genuinely metal stylings and distract you from their heaviness with intricately crafted melodies. One cannot speak highly enough of the true craft honing that VOLA has done. On this record, you get a taste of what they’re known for, but a hearty bite of what they can do.
All Aboard The Rollercoaster of Emotions: Sentimental, thoughtful, nostalgic, wise lyrics are interspersed beautifully within Witness’ tracklist. Suddenly VOLA songs are expansive, taking us on a journey that we can relate to, reminisce over, and learn from. Tracks like “Straight Lines,” the album opener, uses imagery-laden lyrics to allow fans to visualize the fear of reality being sung about.
Experience Rock In A New Way: VOLA has never been one to follow the rules of rock. They’re not based in any one sound, but still have slyly crafted their own. With authenticity and ambiance in mind, this band has carved their own path. Witness is the complete and utter amalgamation of the work they put in to be who they are: a band without limits. Every song on this album features complex, borderline tricky orchestrations. The bass on the previously mentioned “Straight Lines” is grilling and it’s shameless synth drop teeters on atmospheric.
Say “Goodbye!” To Genres: Nobody is more dynamic than VOLA. These Copenhagen talents are perpetually genre-bending, even if not genre-defying. You cannot box in such dedicated, enlightened musicians and Witness proves that. Instead of forgoing genres, they take the best of each and turn it into original – something VOLA. While the band is categorized as being progressive rock, they stray away from the musical standards that are known within this style of music. VOLA is nothing like Rush and nothing like Genesis. At the same time, the way that they jam, the way that they sync up considerably out-of-sync beats to make something with such elaborate, palpable musicality is in fact progressive. You can headbang, mosh, air-guitar, or dance to any one of the songs in VOLA’s globe-spanning, beloved catalog. Witness, while the same, also allows listeners to reflect on life and visualize scenarios in a more realistic sense. They can put themselves in the music right from the get go of this new, nine-track album. Sure, you don’t know what you’re listening to in the sense of labels, but what you do know is that it is evocative rock music with more catchy melodies and more thoughtful harmonies within it metal instrumentation than most Top 40 hits.
Witness is out NOW on all streaming platforms! It’s time to dive into this Denmark-hailing band!
