Release date: October 25th 2017
Okay, well this is rather impressive! My first encounter with prog metal band Vrona was in 2016 with their debut EP A Lapse In Time, and whilst it didn’t quite have the ‘wow’ factor, it was a very good bit of instrumental work. They’re now back with their second effort, Impermanence, which comes the addition of a vocalist – and what an addition he is! Adding vocals into the mix has really taken the band to the next level, and Impermanence is seriously impressive as a result.
Although only two tracks in duration, Vrona still give you a lot to sink your teeth into. The title track is a very moving and emotive track; the instrumentation throughout is just lush and as soon as the smooth vocals kick in, that’s when you know it’s going to be a good song. There is a lot of colour to the vocals, and the passion in the performance really shines through. They complement the instrumentation perfectly, with both vocals and guitars being used in a lead role, and it’s just a refreshing track as a whole.
Second track Tundra is a little more of a slow-burner. It doesn’t immediately grab you like Impermanence, and takes a bit longer to get going but it’s worth sticking with because it soon shifts into a fully immersive song that will give you goosebumps from how atmospheric and beautiful it sounds – the instrumentation paints a beautiful picture and the vocals add an extra sparkle to it (especially with the addition of a harsh line as well).
Impermanence is a lot different to Vrona’s previous effort, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s good to see a band evolve their sound and the risk they took adding vocals has definitely paid off because this is a seriously stunning bit of work. This is an EP that should not be missed!
9/10
