Released on November 1st, 2024, via Mascot Records, the new album by the Danish prog-metal monolith, VOLA, stretches the sonic boundaries of their signature prog that is pretty far-reaching to begin with. The pandemic effort, “Witness,” (2021) marked quite a substantial departure from their original, djent-infused sound, what with all those electronic flourishes, pop hooks, and the occasional hip-hop flair. Now, the polar extremes of the signature VOLA sound are pushed even further with the new album, entitled “Friend of a Phantom.” The harsh bits sound more evil than we are accustomed to, and, when the band gears up on the lush pop aesthetic, it resonates with the air of THE BEACH BOYS thicker than ever before. That pandemic endeavor was, for me, such a postcard-perfect tour de force of progressive excellence that it’s yet too early for me to make up my mind whether this new effort towers over it or is even equal, in terms of its ear-worm qualities; some of the precursory singles sure did hit the mark but, as a whole, the album certainly needs more time to be digested properly. Yeah, it does lack the instant, massive appeal of its predecessor but that does not automatically mean it is a bad album; it is more likely a slow grower, which usually means that “Friend of a Phantom” just might become my favorite installment in the band’s back catalog.
Right off the bat, VOLA delivers a real gut punch with the opener, “Cannibal,” featuring Anders Fridén of IN FLAMES as a guest vocalist. The djenty opening riff has the band’s signature written all over, harkening back to those catchy bangers from the previous album. The contrast between the dreamy, clean-sung verses and Fridén‘s harsh vocals is what really elevates this song to a league of its own. The trancey break also works wonders in this context. I reckon the live rendition of this one is sure to become a fan favorite and a staple in the band’s live shows to come – a real banger!
One of the first few singles released ahead of the album, “Break My Lying Tongue,” is another instant killer. The song is basically a pop song in a compound triplet meter – but one with some nice quantum-prog riffs. VOLA played this new song at this year’s Tuska Festival and it sure got the crowd going apeshit in the pit. So far, the album seems to have delivered only straight aces from up its sleeve. Hence, I was kind of expecting that the next song would explosively take off on a wild tangent into some alien realms. However, “We Will Not Disband” does not. For any other band, the song would be a real gem, no doubt, but I’m afraid that, by VOLA‘s standards, it is merely an okay track. It doesn’t make me want to skip it altogether but – alas! – it doesn’t make my heart race either.
Then again, perhaps “We Will Not Disband” is meant to serve as a soft landing into the haunting ambient spheres of “Glass Mannequin.” While the melancholy of the song is by far no match for the piercing emotion of, say, “Ruby Pool,” there is an air of impeccable beauty about the track. That said, the plaintive mood does thicken quite a bit in the follow-up track, “Bleed Out,” which tiptoes the fine line between djenty riffs, melancholy pop, and moody electronica. As a bonus, the djenty section throws in those harsh vocals to further spice things up. Still, in comparison to the few new bangers, also this song seems to suffer from the ills of being merely ”okay” when it comes to being a VOLA track.
Released already last year, the first single off the album was “Paper Wolf” – an excellent choice for the first soundbite. The song is diabolically catchy, taking on where “Witness” left off and notching things up a good bit. So, six songs into the new selection and the scoreboard reads four absolute bangers and two songs that are ”merely” good. Not bad, I would say but, then again, on “Witness,” the score was 100% bangers. The flow on this new album is rather brilliant, however, so I probably shouldn’t make a hasty judgment based entirely on mathematical considerations. Not even once do these new songs make me reach out for the “skip” button; some tracks make my heart race faster than others, that’s all.
The wild card in this selection is the track entitled “I Don’t Know How We Got Here.” While rolling out the band’s signature quirks – haunting vocal layers, oddball riffs (this time, without being drenched in distortion), and Adam Janzi‘s highly delicious drum work – there’s something out of the ordinary in the song arrangement, something recalling British neo-prog.
Before the album is brought to a close, “Hollow Kid” embarks on a journey through heavy riffs and lush synth textures, recalling some of the heaviest moments on “Applause of a Distant Crowd” (2018). Then, writing the album’s closing summary, “Tray” traverses in mellow, yet melancholic waters. It seems as though the band has cultivated a habit of closing their albums on a softer note. This time, however, the closer is nowhere near the heart-wrenching melancholy of “Inside Your Fur.” Is that a bad thing or not is up to the listener. Perhaps some would rather not have the album dredge up some long-forgotten painful memories.
So, yeah, I have slightly mixed feelings about this album. The best tracks are absolute bangers – “Cannibal,” “Break My Lying Tongue,” and “Paper Wolf,” in particular. Then, while some of the tracks did not stick to my head, instantly, I found myself returning to them after a while, almost as if to check whether they were bangers, after all. Sure, “Friend of a Phantom” did not instantly unravel the very fabric of reality as its predecessor did, but it has all the hallmarks of a timeless album that will grow onto me with time. Those great Danes did it again, it seems.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Cannibal (feat. Anders Fridén)
- Break My Lying Tongue
- We Will Not Disband
- Class Mannequin
- Bleed Out
- Paper Wolf
- I Don’t Know How We Got Here
- Hollow Kid
- Tray
Lineup
Asger Mygind – vocals, guitars
Martin Werner – keyboards
Nicolai Mogensen – bass
Adam Janzi – drums
Label
Mascot Records
