Vega: Anarchy And Unity

Debuting in 2010, Vega were very much seen as the leading lights of the UK melodic rock scene, the coming together of the already prolific songwriting brothers Martin (James - keyboards and Tom - bass) with ex-Kick frontman Nick Workman able to combine killer hooks, cool melodies and memorable choruses with a crunch and authority that UK bands in this style often seemed unable to muster. A further five albums have appeared between then and now, with the band’s previous outing 2020’s Grit Your Teeth seen as a distinct high point so far. Hence, the follow up, Anarchy And Unity has something to live up to, but let's instead look at it on its own merits.

For anyone unacquainted with the band, it’s worth pointing out that in Workman, Vega have a seriously talented frontman. Add the guitar prowess of Marcus Thurston and new recruit Billy Taylor to the already potent mix and then factor in drummer (and singer in his own right) Pete Newdeck and surely Vega have it all? Well, the first half of this album would most certainly agree, “Beautiful Lie� pointed and forceful as its guitars bristle and bite, while “Sooner Or Later� hits as though someone took some of FM’s best moments and stamped on the distortion pedal - hard! “End Of The Fade� heads in a more mid-paced, near power ballad direction and maybe feels a little too familiar as it does, but “Ain’t Who I Am� pulls it all back together with some modern and welcome keyboard elements as the slower moments remind of Magnum at their imperious best. With “Welcome To Wherever� and especially “Bring The Riot� upping the ante once more, there’s already a suggestion that Anarchy And Unity is a done deal.

“Live For Me� however, while maybe not quite sending this album off the rails certainly causes concern, with its aimless, almost James Bond theme like grandiosity never feeling all that genuine. And when “Kneel To You� offers up a melodic hard rock by numbers template that the rest of the album would laugh at, real worry begins to set in. The triumphant “Glow�, thankfully, resets the course and in some style, before the really rather awful show tune meets Queen of “C’Mon� makes you shout out ‘Awww C’Mon!’ for all the wrong reasons. Thankfully “Had Enough� improves things markedly, but it’s still nowhere near the class of the early cuts on this album, while the slowie ‘2Die4� is just as uninspired as its name would suggest.

And with that, an album that hinted that it could be jostling for the title of melodic rock album of the year, is allowed to slip into the ranks of the also rans. A couple of the songs on this album’s run-in to its close are simply ideas that would have been better left to the side, while another couple just don’t quite hold up the early standards. One of those slip ups would have been forgivable, but two is simply a little careless and in all honesty, such a disappointment, because Vega can offer so much more.

Half of Anarchy And Unity is blow your mind good and that’s what I’ll hold on to. Hopefully what comes next from this lot can hit those heights from start to finish in a way that this album sadly does not.

Track Listing
1. Beautiful Lie
2. Sooner Or Later
3. End Of The Fade
4. Ain't Who I Am
5. Welcome To Wherever
6. Bring The Riot
7. Live For Me
8. Kneel To You
9. Glow
10. C'mon
11. Had Enough
12. 2Die4

Added: October 15th 2021
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Vega online
Hits: 666
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend ]