Visual Audio Sensory Theater - VAST > Reviews > What do you get

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money

Advantages:	Everything
Disadvantages:	I want more !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

What do you get, right, if you get a load of Gregorian monks, give them a hi-fi, a load of Nine Inch Nails CD’s, lock them in a room for, ooh say two months and then tell them to go away and make some good music. Well, while I’m not a betting man I’d bet that this album would not be far off.

Much like Nine Inch Nails, VAST (Or Visual Audio Sensory Theatre if you’re feeling on the verbose side) is the brainchild (Some might say dictatorship) of one man. Namely Jon Crosby. Mixing industrial, goth, rock and Gregorian style chants VAST really does not sound like anything else out there. This is one of the most stunning debut albums you will ever hear!

* Here *

The album gets off to a brooding start with the slow dark strings that begin Here when after a round of kettle drums harsh NINish synths come in rapidly followed by guitars and drums. From here on in the song just keeps gaining new layers as it progresses through it’s five minutes. The chorus is especially clever, with a strange almost tribalish beeping synth neatly accompanying Jon Crosby’s distinctive vocals.

* Touched *

Bursting in with a frantic bit of acoustic guitar strumming and a simple vocal line the song deceives you, as at about a minute in what can only be described as a diva doing Gregorian chants comes in and does her vocal stuff, shortly joined by a piano before exploding as the guitars and drums come in. Through out the song the various elements stop and start bouncing in and out all over the place and yet it all seems to fit nicely. Great stuff!

* Dirty Hole *

This song, I feel, may be about something rude. Grinding synths and gentle vocals gradually build up with pianos and organs till Jon utters the line “How many men have been in your sacred hole” and then a combination Gregorian and tribal chant bursts as the song reveals itself and sets off for it’s remaining three minutes. More clever lyrics about holes pop up during the rest of the song, but this song is more than a genital gimmick. It’s also a very good song.

* Pretty When You Cry *

Back to a brooding intro for this one, dark synth noises and relentless percussion begin the track. Then as Jon sings “I didn’t want to hurt you, but you’re pretty when you cry”, which is I think a rather clever lyric, the song starts moving a bit more as the drums come in. A bit of a shock is a female backing vocal that isn’t doing some strange chant. Not that there aren’t strange chants on this song, naturally there are. By now you may be thinking that the chant thing would be wearing thin but really it doesn’t, the chants are varied and add an extra interest to the songs.

* I’m Dying *

Strings, echoy chants and one of the more impressive vocal performances on the album set this haunting piece off on it’s four minute journey. On the way they are joined by bells, crunching electric guitar noise, acoustic guitars and drums. The strange thing about this track is that it’s seems like it’s over really quickly.

* Flames *

Flames gives us a chance to have a bit of a rest as it’s mainly led by an acoustic guitar and a cello and never really sets off at a great pace. It’s a good song, but I’m not sure that Mr Crosby should be attempting those high notes, they don’t always seem to come off 100%. Wot! No chanting???

* Temptation *

Off we go again, a robotic acoustic guitar riff starts off and after a brief vocal intro the synths, drums and guitar kick in. But only briefly, as the robot guitarist comes back but again only briefly as after an angry shout the guitars come back and the chorus comes in. But the highlight of the song comes just after the chorus, distant distorted vocals, chants and a normal vocal create a huge soundscape. Superb!

* Three Doors *

All the time in life there are choices, and this song is about a three way choice – one of which leads to the girl. Opening with a dirty little guitar riff before jumping into life. Again though, Wot! No chanting??? Not that it hurts the song, it’s just fine without them. The refrain in the middle is also worth a mention, cleverly building up to a climatic end to the song before mutating into the start of the next track.

* The Niles Edge *

Monks, strange arabicish percussion and acoustic guitars start this song off in a fairly gentle fashion. The speed never increases, but extra layers are added as synths and guitars come in. The monks chant is a repeating hook all the way through the song though, and manages to fit in every part of the song. More classic VAST.

* Somewhere Else To Be *

Nine Inch Nailsish industrial noises mixed with strings and acoustic guitars start this song off with random injections of electric guitar thrash between the vocals. There’s also an insistent high pitched synth following the guitar noise and of course, some monks joining in in the background.

**

“This is a song without a name”, as Jon Crosby sang on the second VAST album. However, unlike that track “A Song Without A Name” this really is a song without a name. It’s almost an instrumental, lots of percussion, including bongos and a catchy Gregorian chant with dirty organs in the background join with acoustic guitars to create yet another huge soundscape.

* You *

Oh dear me, I’m at the last track – and I was so enjoying reviewing this incredible debut album. Oh well, on with the track. Starting off with haunting echoy beeps before being joined by a cello and electronic drums. It’s a slow a brooding finish to the album with some great uplifting moments. It’s another ‘Wot! No Chants???” album, though the haunting breathy backing vocals do get close to the Gregorian sound at times.

And that ladies and gentlemen is, sadly, it. Without a doubt one of the best debut albums, indeed, one of the best albums, I have ever heard. If you like Nine Inch Nails you should own this – if you don’t still check it out.