Volumes - Via
Rating
RIYL
Meshuggah, Periphery, and Tesseract covered by a metalcore bandRelease Date
10/11/2011
Label
MediaskareTracklist
1. Paid in Full2. Wormholes
3. Limitless
4. Reversion
5. Serenity
6. The Columbian Faction
7. Affirmation of Ascension
8. Intake
9. Behind the Curtain
10. Recovery
11. Edge of the Earth
12. Via
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Upon hearing their name for the first time, one can already narrow Volumes down to one of two increasingly popular groups--either they’re a djent band, or they play slightly off-kilter hardcore. If you picked the former, you were correct. After self-releasing an EP and touring to somewhat relative acclaim, the Californian sextet released their first full-length, Via, on Mediaskare Records this week. Let’s see how it fares.
Halfway through the first song on the album, the first thing to catch my ear is the atrocious drum tone. Sterile, lifeless, somewhat obnoxious… but that's not exactly uncommon in this genre or age. The snare sounds like a ten gallon drum, the kick like a plastic water bottle popping... when combined, fills just sound comical and extremely weak overall. 2:07 in “Paid in Full,” as well as 2:53 and 4:48 in “Wormholes” are just two prime examples of moments made laughable by the poor drum production. Unfortunately, the drums aren’t the only things on this record that sound lifeless and empty. The music generally has no backbone, let alone originality. For a band that prides itself on their groove, there certainly isn’t anything remarkably moving going on. The staples of the djent movement are all covered here: low string chugging, random sparkling cleans, electronic glitches, you name it. Volumes manages to include them in just about every song, switching back and forth with zero thought given to reason or intent. If anything screams amateur on this record, it’s the transitions (or lack thereof). Ranging from stopping completely and beginning an un-related riff to having some form of studio magic warp and reduce sounds into others, the pitiful condition of the transitions made me rewind more than any of the actual music. Combine this into 12 songs, include cheesy metalcore moments like whiny singing and half-assed piano samples, have it played by a band covering a Meshuggah cover band, and you have Via.
Via is plagued by so many things that immediately put me off. By the end of the record, I was near disgusted at just how pitifully it all came together. It seems that Volumes is just another Mediaskare band that has the carefully groomed image and a (far) less than stellar musical act. I can’t think of a single band on this label that doesn’t fall under those descriptors; the bands always look the part and have throngs of fans, yet the music always falls short. If you’re looking for bands in the same style as Volumes, you’re in luck: Periphery, Tesseract, and Meshuggah, the three bands that their style is some derivation of, are all excellent. Check them out and you’re sure to find something you like. When it comes down to it, there isn’t a single reason I can recommend this record to anyone. If you’re already a Volumes fan, go for it, but if not, stay far away.
--Cody Rogers
Comments
Minneapolis, MN
I haven't logged in here in months, but I had to in order to tell Cody that he's dead wrong on this one. This is one of the best albums I've had the chance to listen to this year. It will most certainly be in my top 3 come the end of the year.
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Minnesota
I'm with Jared on this one. It's not going to crack my top 10, but it's a heck of an album to listen to when working out as I feel they mix metalcore and djent together nicely. Yes, I do feel the transitions are rough at spots, but the drums I don't have as much issue with. As you mentioned, their sound is pretty standard in the genre, so I don't know what the big issue is. It's like "the production sucks" for a black metal album... when that's the exact point most of the time. In djent, the drums (IMO) are meant to feel mechanical. In fact, the whole genre seems to be a "mechanical" and industrialized genre.
But I digress. I just wanted to say I also found this album pretty good.
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Fishers, Indiana
Even if everyone disagrees with you on this review, "kick like a plastic water bottle popping" captures that sound perfectly. I've never been able to describe it before, but shit, that's what that is.
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Lehigh Valley, PA
I didn't wanna listen to this band because of the trend they are following, with their name and sound. With that being said I gave them a chance and listened. The first track I heard from them was "Edge of The Earth". Let me tell ya, that track is awesome, really awesome. I downloaded the album and felt extremely let down by the rest of it. Cody is right, the sound on this album is laughable. This isn't a terrible album but it's certainly not top ten material... maybe not even top fifteen.
LOL MAYBE not even top 15?
How much music do you guys actually really listen to?
This shit sucks.
Raleigh, NC
Normally when I say something sucks and I hate it, it actually isn't that bad- I probably just think it's super boring and generic. This, however, is absolute garbage.
Fishers, Indiana
Bill listens to Hurt and Nickelback and Hinder and Black Stone Cherry almost exclusively, so Top 15 is actually pretty far down his list.
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Reno, NV
I'm not even gonna listen to this album. I have some of their older stuff and don't like it much. Too much other good stuff coming out to keep me occupied. New Joe Jonas solo album out guys come on! Zach get on it.
Current Listenings:
Psychollywood - Psychollywood
Royal Thunder - Cvi
The Next Hundred Years - Troppo
Kyng - Trampled Sun
Kill Devil Hill - Kill Devil Hill
Lehigh Valley, PA
Black Stone Cherry is in my top ten so fuck you! hahaha
Baton Rouge
The love between you two inspires me to tears.
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/
Lehigh Valley, PA
I do love Zach. We can't talk shit and still have a mutual understanding.
Baton Rouge
I know, it's just like Bambi and Thumper, except with rabies.
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/
Fishers, Indiana
I guess that means Bill is Bambi and I'm Thumper.
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Baton Rouge
I forgot how cute that skunk is.
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/
San Diego, CA
I just listened to this album and quite liked it
Too old to bother, too young to give a shit.
Illinois
this is pretty good. i like structures' new album too which is along the same lines as this.
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Raleigh, NC
Well, makes sense, I think Structures is pretty bad as well.