Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Volumes - Via (2011)
For over 15 years, djent has ruled the realms of modern metal. While the genre was utilized much earlier by Meshuggah and Textures, it was shaped up in the late 2000s and early 2010s by bands like Animals as Leaders, Periphery, Tesseract, Monuments, Born of Osiris, Veil of Maya, Vildhjarta (also creating its more brutal subgenre thall), and Xerath. A few of those bands would blend that genre with metalcore, and one other band would master that blend, Volumes!
Their debut Via is a prime example of djentcore. Here we have the typical downtuned guitars, rapid drum kicks, and vocals ranging from angelic cleans to devilish growls. And whether or not it has variety, what matters is the interest factor in the different aspects. Those aspects being riff technicality, lead melody, breakdowns, and soloing. Basically almost like Lorna Shore without their symphonic death side. It's still quite a fun formula that helps me appreciate djent. It also makes Via one of the best albums I've heard in the genre! I can recognize the strong flow, and with every listen, each song becomes less forgettable and more memorable.
Opening track "Paid in Full" has a brief ambient intro then goes straight for the jugular. One of the strongest songs here and we're already getting started! "Wormholes" can also grab you by the b*lls. It's so intense that it has energized me after I had just woken up from a sh*tty sleep, as of writing this review. "Limitless" unleashes more of the djentcore power then get into something more...melodic?! That's right, it's their first ever hint at sweet melody! The talent this band has is limitless. More people need to hear this! "Reversion" is one of two interlude tracks in this album, with clean guitar/synth ambience. As good as it is, I found it slightly boring and that almost made me lose the half-star needed for the perfect 5-star rating. Fortunately, the tracks that would follow would keep the rating intact...
We then get to the emotional "Serenity". I enjoy that one, including the ending guitar soloing by Scale the Summit's Chris Letchford. Sadly that part was cut in the 2016 reissue due to label issues. Exploding into heavy groove is "The Columbian Faction". As always, the band's tempo changes work greatly, though here it's a bit jarring and forced while still solid. "Affirmation of Ascension" has lyrics that may seem ridiculous and laughable to newcomers, but it takes time to get used to them and realize how hardcore they sound, "In the end of it all it comes down to one or two things, and if you got money then I got money." As we get deep into "Intake", you start to witness its diverse strength. Starting off soft and clean, it becomes more monstrous and intense, all building up into a fantastic result. "Behind the Curtain" is pretty good, modernizing the prog-ish metalcore of Burst and The Autumn Offering.
The second interlude "Recovery" is, just like the other interlude, pretty low but still OK and maintaining the album's perfect score. The strong Periphery-infused highlight "Edge of the Earth" follows. Everything's spectacular, including the headbanging groove and catchy chorus. It's one of only two songs in this album to including clean singing (the other being "The Columbian Faction") sung by rhythm guitarist Daniel Schwartz. Such as a shame he was only in this album. I can practically sing along to his wonderful cleans. The title finale is an excellent send-off, and it has gotten me pumped into checking out their subsequent releases.
This, ladies and djentlemen, is true djentcore that any fan of the genre should have. Via had made its rightful place in my playlist for the past couple years with its catchy heavy groove. One of my favorite djent albums and an incredible start to this band's steady career!
Favorites: "Paid in Full", "Limitless", "Serenity", "Intake", "Edge of the Earth", "Via"