Vanna
The Few And Far Between
Davey Muise – Lead Vocals
Nick Lambert – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals
Joel Pastuszak – Lead Guitar, Vocals
Shawn Marquis – Bass Guitar
Eric “Rabbit” Gross - Drums
Vanna is a band that I really never heard of until now. They formed back in late 2004
and recorded their first demo in a dorm room. They then moved onto their first EP with limited pressings, but helped them
get signed by Epitaph Records. 2006 seen a split vinyl with Therefore I Am, then began working on their full length debut
which hit stores in 2007. Their next release surfaced in 2009 and reached #31 on the Heatseekers chart. After a line-up change
as well as a label change they released a new EP and then a new full-length album in 2011. The band is back again with a new
record. The Few and the Far Between was released in March 2013 and features 11
tracks. They get the record started with the titled cut. “The Few And The Far Between” opens with an industrial
feel with slow and deliberate strikes of the kit and long whining sounds from the guitars. This is accompanied by screaming
vocals. The minute forty track really doesn’t get any more exciting than that, actually the track is quite boring. “The
Lost Art of Staying Alive” offers up a much better musical pallet in this one. The track rips through its time it has
with screaming vocals and solid guitars. The drums also get into the mix too. This track has tons more energy and intensity
which helps the track out. “Year of the Rat” opens up with a screaming fest with huge drums and descent guitars.
The song screams its way to the chorus section where they introduce some clean vocals which are a breath of fresh air. The
track tunes out to be okay, but there are moments that you just stand and stare into space. Those places the track really
doesn’t have much character. “I Said I’m Fine” screams along again with a tune where it sounds like
they are playing a couple of different tunes. There is a really slow section that comes out of nowhere and sounds very up
lifting. It plays for a while, but does get over taken by screams again. There is another section that stands out to me that
comes near the end of the track. The guitars race along and then surprisingly I also liked the group vocals that happen after
a solid transition. “Casket Rhythm” gets the metal scene going with growling vocals and hammering tunes. It does
slow down in places for a more dramatic sound, but I think it works better with the faster side of things. “The Weekly
Slap In The Face” is aggressive and mean while the vocals rip you a new one. It rushes up and gets in your face for
an onslaught of screaming vocals and pounding tunes. It again does slow down for a period of time, but finally does kick it
back up to where you are use to it. “Please Stay” is a slow tune in regard to most of the album, but it still
has the intensity in the vocals. This one is more of a poetry reading in some parts than a song. I just couldn’t get
into it. “A Thin Place” will have your head spinning with the multiple vocals flying around. The music is trashing
around with no regard to any pace. It’s just a cluster, but I’m sure the mosh pit will enjoy it. “The Dreamer/
The Thief/ The Relic” offers up some solid moments. The gang vocals sound really good and the slow clean vocals are
a big change of pace. The music is descent is you can get passed the screaming vocals. Like I said, there are some solid places,
but there are other spots where the track doesn’t quite flow. “When in Roam” is a fast moving tune with
descent vocals (including some backing vocals). There is a nice set of lyrics once you dive into them; however, there are
also holes in the track. The slow spots again hurt that track. It just hampers the vibe of the track. “His Heels”
closes out the album with an onslaught of music. The main screaming vocals rip through line after line while the clean vocals
are laid out in front of you for you to soak up. The music is solid throughout once you get past the screaming vocals. Overall
the album is okay. I really think that you have to be into the screaming style of vocals to really love this album. There
are spots that sound tremendous, but others sound disconnected and out of sync. The band could have a huge following if they
tone it down just a bit, not much, just a little bit. If you take the album piece by piece it’s not a bad album at all.
The guitars are solid as are the drums. They get to venture off from time to time and spice up that song. The clean vocals
are really good and the screaming ones aren’t bad either most of the time. I really think it’s the way the tracks
are arranged in this case. It just seems to be a bit sloppy.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Tracks to Watch:
I Said I’m Fine and When In Roam
Track List:
- The Few And
The Far Between
- The Lost Art
of Staying Alive
- Year of the
Rat
- I Said I’m
Fine
- Casket Rhythm
- The Weekly Slap
In The Face
- Please Stay
- A Thin Place
- The Dreamer/
The Thief/ The Relic
- When in Roam
- His Heels
Website (s): http://www.vannaboston.com