July 27, 2010

Progressive metal is a tricky animal; it can either be stellar, all encompassing music that fills the musical void or it can be outlandishly dim with little or no style. Poland’s Votum certainly fits the bill for being all encompassing with its second full-length release Metafiction.

Comparisons to Anathema and Opeth abound, the general perception after hearing Metafiction is that it’s incredibly intellectual music for the thinker. Yes, you can hear some of We’re Here Because We’re Here or some Lightbulb Sun, but Votum manages to capture an essence all its own that will inevitably draw such images of the aforementioned bands. This can work as either advantage or disadvantage dependent upon one’s frame of mind. I feel it’s an advantage simply because the number of bands successfully reiterating such deep compositional music these days is all-too-often subpar at best.

When hearing this album in its entirety I was left with vocal visages of Vincent Cavanaugh, Mikael Akerfeldt and, somewhat surprisingly, a clean Layne Staley, the latter especially evident on the later tracks on the album like “Stranger than Fiction” and “December 20”. There are also some hints at a U.K. electro-synth band called Mesh, though there are no true synth-pop elements here. It’s a very pleasant experience indeed.

The songs themselves are well-organized musical musings that find ways to borrow into your psyche and nestle there for a while, the mark of a truly enchanting release. The tracks can be Alice in Chains heavy or Porcupine Tree moving, again in direct correlation to your frame going in, but rest assured this experience is one you shouldn’t regret. This album touches the listener on all levels of enjoyment; the jazzy feel of “December 20” with the somber, yet romantically-charged meandering through “Faces” only complements the variety you’ll find illuminating on Metafiction.  

When an album jumps from point to point, wracking the nerve center into slow, casual submission it marks the ground with its presence, and Votum is a band that fans of this progressive rock/metal movement truly need to be hearing. When you need that fix of rock, jazz, metal and enigmatic music to grab onto your brain and gently massage it into a much-needed serenity the Votum experience can only benefit you on your sojourn. You can honestly get a little bit of every food group at this smorgasbord of mental elevation.   

Release Date: November 16, 2009
Label: Armoury Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Falling Dream
2.  Glassy Essence
3.  Home
4.  Faces
5.  Stranger than Fiction
6.  Indifferent
7.  December 20th

Total playing time: 44:27

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*Comments:

Votum - Metafiction

Reviewer: Chris