Vanden Plas: The Seraphic Clockwork

Now I have to start with a bit of a confession. Over the past few years I have steadily moved away from progressive metal. I have found that most of the bands I have listened to are happy to retread old ground and present it as something shiny and new when it blatantly isn't. Even the most recent and critically acclaimed Dream Theater album Black Clouds and Silver Linings failed to convince me that I was missing out. So with that in mind, I have to say that I approached Vanden Plas first album since the admittedly excellent Christ O, which was released some four years ago, with a little trepidation. I knew I could expect tremendous musical virtuosity and excellent vocals, however more importantly, could the music held within The Seraphic Clockwork actually move me?

Well I have to take my hat off to the band, not only have I and continue to be moved by the music on this release, but I have been completely engulfed by it and can barely stop pressing play to hear it again. Impassioned songs, exciting musicianship, well thought out musical and lyrical themes and technical ability all collide to create an album that is full of subtle force and savage beauty. Many people struggle - and I had begun to include myself in this category – with the million miles an hour shredding that dominates much of this genre and the great majority of bands desire to almost shove their prowess down the listener's throat at the cost of creating music that touched the heart and mind in equal amounts. I'm pleased to say that Vanden Plas have taken a completely different approach with this album by starting out with songs that rely on melody and emotion and only then have they embellished them with playing of the highest calibre. Right from the opening blasts of "Frequency" where the bass line circles your mind before a guttural riff punches a hole through it, you are left in no doubt that this is a beast of an album that uses a kaleidoscope of textures to take you on a voyage through some tremendous progressive themes. Vocalist Andy Kuntz is a true storyteller and as he sings the words to the songs, the overall feeling is that he is talking directly to you and nobody else. Being able to have that effect in a genre that can be very cold and ordered gives a completely different lease of life to the music where no note has been added to highlight dexterity over necessity.

Don't take that to mean that if you are a fan of blindingly impressive guitar solos, keyboard flicks and tricks, or tempestuous drum fills that you won't get your fix and then some from this album, as that could not further from the truth. Throughout the disc Stephan Lill moves from hard hitting riffs, furious fret board flurries and restrained acoustic passages with consummate ease while Gunter Werno continually adds layers of atmosphere to the already heady brew. The rhythm section of Torsten Reichert on bass and drummer Andreas Lill drive the songs to perfection with sympathetic playing that both allows them to shine in their own right and blend all the other component parts into highly impressive songs.

Choosing highlights is remarkably difficult as there isn't a song here that doesn't merit its inclusion, or enhance the album, however the soaring, yet controlled "Scar of An Angel" illustrates Vanden Plas' ability to go from highly atmospheric and sparsely arranged sections, straight into full on bombastic riffs and roars with ease and skill. The slow build of "Holes In The Sky" also allows the band to show how they can revisit themes and motifs in a variety of styles and really sees the keyboards come to the fore to support one of Kuntz's best vocals on the album. It is also a testament to the song writing on The Seraphic Clockwork that tracks like "The Final Murder" and the seductive "Quicksilver" really feels like music that tells the story of the lyrics. Both songs use a variety of tempos and emotions to convey their message; however the fact that they do so with such an air of believability is quite some achievement.

The Seraphic Clockwork is not only a fantastic album that really deserves to launch Vanden Plas into mainstream success; it has genuinely rekindled my faith in this style of music having something extremely worthwhile to say.

Track Listing
1. Frequency
2. Holes In The Sky
3. Scar of an Angel
4. Sound of Blood
5. The Final Murder
6. Quicksilver
7. Rush of Silence
8. On My Way to Jerusalem
9. Eleyson

Added: December 27th 2010
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Vanden Plas Official Web Site
Hits: 6813
Language: english

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