Norwegian band VULTURE INDUSTRIES have been around since 1998, at the start using the name Dead Rose Garden but from 2003 and onwards going with their current moniker. They have 3 EPs and 3 full length CDs to their name so far. “The Tower” is the most recent of the latter, and was released through French label Season of Mist in 2013.
Vulture Industries is one of the bands I have encountered that can’t be readily placed into a readily defined box placed within any specific style of music, which for me is a good thing. Or rather, this is a metal band, and the way they create and perform their songs begs for progressive metal to be used as a genre description, but they don’t adhere to any of the more common directions within this type of music. So while progressive metal is a defined box, Vulture Industries is among those bands that have a hard time fitting in with the great number of bands in that box that invites to associations towards the likes of Dream Theater or Symphony X. As far as I can tell, Vulture Industries doesn’t have any connections to any of these bands whatsoever in terms of style, nor to any other influential bands of note I’m able to recall.
The main similarity I notes down to one specific band is one that mainly can be used as a comparison too, as I suspect that this particular case is one of this band inspiring another one rather than the opposite. The detail in question are the lead vocals of Björnar E. Nilsen, whose impressive theatrical voice is a trademark feature of this band. He can use hos voice in a more careful, cinematic way, but first and foremost his vocals are intense, big and theatrical. More sophisticated than the likes of Candlemass’ Messiah Marcolin, but with some similar traits, and as far as direct comparisons go I’ll pull out another Norwegian band – El Doom & The Born Electric. In this case I suspect that the latter has taken some notes from this band in that department however, as Vulture Industries have been around for a wee bit longer than El Doom and his merry musicians.
Musically we’re dealing with metal. Hammering riff and drum cascades are encountered aplenty, with and without careful keyboards and organ support. Quirky riff constructions and staccato, intense riff constructions too, and there’s always room for a melodic overlay too. Delicate guitar solo themes the main choice in that department. But sequences sporting a massive, booming bass guitar as the main driving force supplemented with delicate guitar details have their place too, and a recurring effect are dampened and fairly often playful piano details and motifs, and while perhaps a tad accidental I did get some ragtime associations when a few of those flavored the soundscape. Vulture Industries is also among the metal bands that have discovered the Mellotron, and they know how to use it with care and then to good effect. That this is a band that also know how to employ the occasional interlude of a more cinematic nature shouldn’t be all that surprising, nor that there’s some rather effective light toned, delicate guitars only sequences.
Amidst all the variations, effects and generally energetic, innovative and sophisticated progressive metal served us on a plate here, it is a compositions of a vastly different kind that impress the most. The song in question is called The Dead Won’t Mind, and is a fairly delicate blues affair that have been run through a few sickly filters of the horror movie inspired kind. An honorable mention will have to go to bonus track Blood Don’t Eliogabalus, a compositions that has a long running circus music inspired theme. Circus music of the kind that would have been a fitting soundtrack for Stephen King’s IT I might add, but nevertheless themes and motifs that invite to circus music associations.
If you enjoy innovative and sophisticated progressive metal of a kind that cannot really be compared to any of the founding fathers of this type of music, have a certain fondness for music with a generally dark and ominous sound, and especially if you also enjoy big, theatrical lead vocals of the kind that are borderline pompous, Vulture Industries is a band you should investigate, and “The Tower” should be a good and intriguing first stop.
My rating: 84/100
