[REVIEW] Vanna – And They Came Baring Bones

Vanna

And They Came Baring Bones

Artery Recordings

Release: June 21^st, 2011

Boston boys, Vanna, are back with their first full length released on Artery Recordings.  It is also the first complete album featuring Davey Muise on the screams.  Muise replaced Chris Preece the summer after A New Hope was released.  Their vocal styling is very different in my opinion.  Chris fit into the post hardcore genre very nicely, where Davey’s roars are more suited for hardcore.  His brutal growl is welcomed here, as Vanna has produced their most impressive release to date.  The band worked with the very successful producer Matt Goldman on this project and his guidance definitely worked in Vanna’s favor.

“Black Bones” smashes you in the face as Chris Campbell leads the band into the track as he absolutely obliterates his drum kit.  Muise shows how powerful his raw raspy vocals can be when he belts out “I will consume you” during the sludgy breakdown, and he does just that.  The style the band has found on this record is very original for a genre that can often be stale.

The record moves along at a blistering pace, with some songs barely exceeding 2 minutes in length. “History on Repeat” is a great example of this because the band doesn’t need much time to get their point across.  The dark sounding guitars back the slamming drums as the whole band shouts out “THE EARTH STOOD STILL!” The song quickly transitions into “Breathing at the Bottom” which features my favorite heavy section of the album.  Muise rips his vocal chords to shreds the line “ I’ve got the blackout blues.”  This is a breakdown that might cause a few black eyes this summer.

Evan Pharmakis’ clean vocals shine as he opens up the best song on the album, “Scarlett Shroud”.  His voice has the ability to bring beauty to the constant chaos.  He brings a brilliant contrast that most bands of the genre long to attain.  The song transfers into “Passages” which is just a checkpoint into the stretch run of the album. “I, The Collecter” is a hectic rager of a song.  Muise is absolutely relentless in his vocal assault here.  He will be sure to set crowds off into a frenzy when he blares out “I am revenge, the thief in the night.”

The albums finisher “White Light” truly brings closure to the album.  It is the longest track on the album and serves as a brilliant conclusion for a very impressive album.  The record is a quick listen, but it is also a memorable one.  Vanna has gone through many ups and downs throughout their career, but they have always persevered.  Their future is looking very bright after this career defining release.  Their work ethic will only continue to bring them success in the future.

Review By Chris Bongiovanni