Band:	Vola
Album:	Witness
Style:	Djent, Progressive metal
Release date:	May 2021

01. Straight Lines
02. Head Mounted Sideways
03. 24 Light-Years
04. These Black Claws [feat. Shahmen]
05. Freak
06. Napalm
07. Future Bird
08. Stone Leader Falling Down
09. Inside Your Fur

The djent band for non-metal fans tackle their difficult third album.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given that it was inspired by the staggeringly heavy Meshuggah, the djent subgenre has typically leant on the slightly more intense side, whether it be bands following right in the footsteps of Meshuggah (Vildhjarta), or those of a more metalcore (Periphery, Monuments) or deathcore (Veil Of Maya, After The Burial) persuasion. However, there have been prominent bands that have approached the crunchy, polyrhythmic potential of djent from a more melodic persuasion, and few have been more accessible than Vola.

Even on their debut record Inmazes, Vola eschewed harsh vocals and instead combined complex downtuned grooves with powerful melodic vocals, catchy choruses and lots of electronics/keyboards; by the time they'd released sophomore effort Applause Of A Distant Crowd, those djenty grooves had faded further into the background, with the band prioritizing softness and melody even more. Witness sees the band both re-introducing the heaviness from Inmazes and pushing out into new alternative musical directions at the same time. Those wishing for some more songs in the vein of Vola's debut will encounter crunching riffs in the likes of "Straight Lines", "Head Mounted Sideways" and "Stone Leader Falling Down", whilst people that appreciated the more unexpected features on Applause Of A Distant Crowd will encounter similar novelties on Witness.

I think it's probably a safe bet that I like djent the most out of our writing team, particularly those bands more based in metalcore, so it might be surprising to hear that I don't necessarily enjoy Vola at their djentiest; I actually prefer Applause Of A Distant Crowd to Inmazes, and my favourite songs and moments on the debut are often those of a more melodic or atmospheric persuasion. On Witness, this still somewhat rings true; the heaviest song here is "Stone Leader Falling Down", but the main verse riff just doesn't draw me in. I think it's a case of the djent tone working best when injecting intensity into high-energy, pummelling grooves; the vulgar guitar tone just doesn't make as satisfying an impact in a tamer setting. I prefer this side of the band on faster material, such as "Straight Lines", which is a song that also benefits from a fuller atmosphere and more memorable chorus than "Stone Leader Falling Down".

At the opposite end of the Vola spectrum, "24 Light-Years" may be the poppiest song the band have released yet, with airy vocals, gentle synths and a Coldplay-esque chorus melody. Meanwhile, "These Black Claws" sounds at times like a forgotten Korn track, and Vola also explore nu metal's ties with hip hop with a guest rap feature courtesy of Shahmen. In both cases, however, Vola make the experiments work well; on "24 Light-Years", they gradually build the volume with a chunkier bridge that leads nicely into a laser-speed backdrop to the final chorus, whilst "These Black Claws" intensifies proceedings with some satisfyingly crunchy riffs and brash synth lines. Neither is my favourite song on Witness, but I don't find myself waiting for them to finish either.

I've always found Vola's strengths to lie in their ability to write wistful, sad yet hopeful melodies, such as on the likes of "Starburn", "We Are Thin Air" and "Ruby Pool" on previous albums, as well as their ability to use their metal base to conjure some powerful atmospheres, such as on "Your Mind Is A Helpless Dreamer". Both of these strengths are displayed on Witness during its better songs; for the former, "Freak" is a subdued acoustic affair with moving vocal melodies, whilst as an example of the latter, see the bridge of "Future Bird". Bringing both of these attributes together are what I consider the strongest songs on the album, "Napalm" and "Inside Your Fur", which combine hefty foundations with bright synth/keyboard melodies and memorable choruses.

Witness could be described as a maturation of Vola's sound, and/or as a midway point between the sounds of their two previous releases. However, I must confess that I prefer it to neither of those albums; overall, it lacks the soothing memorability of Applause Of A Distant Crowd and the gripping energy of the finer parts of Inmazes. Instead, Vola have released a record that combines much of what Vola have accomplished on past albums into an enjoyable and imaginative package, but doesn't have enough to inspire stronger feelings in me towards it.