A banger of a new album release from VIA touches on a number of hard-hitting metal approaches with blistering riffs and vast melodic sections to go alongside aggressive but melodic vocals, the record has a fantasy element about it that takes you to a different place altogether.
The Day of Purification album is absolutely massive and has more than a handful of gems that can shake the ground beneath your feet if you listen loud enough.
The guitar tones are incendiary, and the drumming is pulse pounding and electric while the base tone keeps things rumbling and vocals tie everything together and tell theatrical themed stories that bring on and almost cinematic undertone.
Some of these songs are absolutely anthemic and this record isn't just one-sided either. There are songs that slowly build and bring attention to the table while others just come in with a Fierce and fiery punch to the gut.
This is one of those albums that you should listen to from start to finish to be honest. Like I said, there are some definite gems here and most songs can stand on their own two legs of course, but this album feels like more of a concept album than not so it's almost like watching a movie.
And when you're done listening to this album you do feel like you just watched a movie. Like you stepped out of the theater and back out to the daylight. You have to sort of get your footing back.
This aspect is killer because I think that's what a lot of us look for with records like this. In a way it's a form of escapism but not so bluntly put.
Like a really good book, we get into it, get taken to this different land and hear this storyline, and then when it's all over we have to snap ourselves back to reality again.
The band is incredibly tight and obviously are made up of very seasoned musicians, but I think the way that they complement each other is the key here.
There are parts of this record that feel almost like a live album. Not production wise, because the sound is immense and nearly perfectly done. Everything is polished and sounds huge.
But the way that the players feed off of each other's Energies gives you a little taste of that live performance tonality.
If anything, it makes you want to see these guys live.
This record is for anyone and everyone that is an actual fan of progressive or melodic metal, anything with riffs that knock you on your ass, or anyone that's a guitar player.
These guys capture all the elements that you'd want from a vast metal record.