Vision of Verity - Terra Firma - Album Review - Modern Progressive Djent Metal from Vancouver, Canada
One of the first gloomy days of the new season, Monday, I’m listening to the debut studio album Terra Firma by the modern progressive djent metal band; Vision of Verity, from Vancouver, Canada. The album is set to release on September 28th, 2024, and as the second track, Neurosis plays in my ears, I finally get the chance to write this down. Let’s begin.
Vision of Verity - Ex Machina (Live @BlueLightStudio)
Terra Firma has only been in my life for the past week or so, and I've listened to it on different days and in different moods. First and foremost, it is a well-written, performed, and recorded modern progressive metal album that showcases advanced musicianship throughout. Vision of Verity is a collective of talented individuals, and that is the first thing I was convinced of from the start.
Musically, Terra Firma reminded me of some of my favorite names like Animals as Leaders, Marco Sfogli, John Petrucci / Dream Theater, Tool, and at times, even Mastodon. The Canadian collective take these influences and craft their own material in modern progressive metal tones, reminiscent of Tosin Abasi, which also defines the entire album sound.
Furthermore, the album incorporates long progressive compositions that are heavily guitar-driven, or in other words, led by the guitar player. You get the feeling of listening to a step forward in guitar music, supported by two other fantastic players on bass and drums. As a new band with their debut album, I never had any doubt about these musicians from the first moment I heard them, and really appreciated the live performance feel, even though everything is quite processed in their musical concept.
Production-wise, the album consistently sounded satisfying to me, despite our differences in sound characterization. Most of the time, I experienced it at maximum volume. As mentioned earlier, the sound is a blend of modern progressive pioneers, but for some reason, it reminded me more of individual guitar players rather than collectives. It is a three-piece performance with clear boundaries; I didn’t hear any additional instruments prominently, unlike Mastodon often includes pads/keys.
Additionally, I have to admit that it is a solid-sounding album without question. I enjoyed the tone of each instrument, as well as the sound balancing—it didn’t sound too computerized—and the dynamics and overall loudness were well-executed.
In terms of musical language, Terra Firma also features a style I was already familiar with. It's quite Western, with influences from the names I mentioned above. More than a few times, I was reminded of Dream Theater’s underappreciated masterpiece Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, which I’m a big admirer of.
On the other side, here’s what I would recommend if I were somehow involved in this project, as a producer or guitar player:
To begin with, while the album showcases technical skill, it lacks a distinct artistic perspective. On many occasions, it draws inspiration from the same small circle, whether in sound, tone, mood, production, storytelling, compositions, artwork, or visuals. This makes it difficult to distinguish the band, whether they're from Canada or Honduras, or whether it's three or six individuals. My experience of this record felt familiar, created in a similar form I have seen before. That’s why I would suggest adding a unique touch to each aspect, moving away from the strong Tosin Abasi influence as much as possible. This would also address my second concern that I will mention below: the twist.
Terra Firma proves that Vision of Verity possesses excellent technical abilities to an extent that these gentlemen could likely play Animals as Leaders live if necessary. However, moving forward, the first thing Vision of Verity needs, in my opinion, is a clearer, more original, and more definable concept throughout. Otherwise, they risk being remembered only for their Animals as Leaders style and sound.
In conclusion, listening to Terra Firma and discovering Vision of Verity with their debut studio album has been a great pleasure for me regardless. As a guitar player and music enthusiast myself, I have nothing else but sincere appreciation for their creation. Thank you for reading.
Terra Firma will be released on September 28, 2024.
Vision of Verity on the web:
