Vvon Dogma I COMMUNION EP review
Website- - https://www.facebook.com/pg/VvonDogmaI
I’m going through hundreds of emails I missed while I was injured and stopped in my tracks when Vvon Dogma I’s press release caught my attention. A 9 string bass? 8 string guitar? I have to check this out!
It’s been my experience that the quality of music coming my way from Canada is genuinely well produced, even if I don’t like it. Sometimes, I’ll get something I really dig and once in a while I’ll get something I’ve not heard before. Vvon Dogma I is something I’ve not heard before, at least not in this combination.
Their EP, Communion, has me perplexed. With a myriad of synth sounds, 9 string bass and 8 string guitars that sometimes make it tough to tell what is what, and a style that spins out of control but still stays on the tracks somehow, my mind is confused. Is this Pink Floyd on modern acid? Is this Tool slipping away in a coma? Did Devin Townsend go a little more crazy?
The press release had lots to say to give me a sense of what to expect but somehow I was still not prepared. My mind scrambled to associate this with Tool, Deftones, Taproot, a metal version of 30 Seconds to Mars but it couldn't settle on anything. Thankfully, this means that Vvon Dogma I isn't anyone but Vvon Dogma I. Let me break it down for you.
Communion starts out with Hush and it's brutally beautiful. The eclectic bass sounds throw me for a loop. In these headphones I am easily transported to an alternate reality. Although I don't know where I am, I'm enjoying the experience. The robotic sounds on the vocals are a nice touch.
Communion entered next with a quiet intro then kicked me in the junk. I felt my body writhe with the bass line, kind of like it did with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album. The song turns itself into a medley of chaotic riffs, robotic vocals and that Pink Floyd style wtf! Unbelievable!
Lithium Blue hits me with more of a modern heavy rock sound but then takes me back to the sounds that I loved about Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Then, comes those robot vocals again. Trippy, but it’s losing its appeal.
The Mask ends this journey almost too soon with a peaceful guitar intro (or is that bass?) that, again, turns into an old school Pink Floyd style then smacks my face with modern heavy rock and throws itself into trippy variety. I'm still blown away. The opening lyrics, "I am not flesh, I am the sound,
The sound bears me deep into you, Just reborn as a ghost" may haunt me for a while.
At the end of this fantastic trip I'm spellbound. The lyrics are definitely haunting, the music itself pulls and tugs at my soul and takes me out of reality for a moment. It's beauty. Simply awesome! But the robotic lyrics…I don’t know. They help make Vvon Dogma I stand apart from the crowd but if this EP kept going it would probably ruin the longer experience.
On one end of the shovel
Vvon Dogma I is extremely impressive. Each song has so many twists and turns it's like a maze but one you don't get pissed at for not finding your way out of. The eclectic bass lines and effects beg to be mounted and rode to whatever ends they may lead to. The riffs, chord arrangements and stop and go "whoah" moments lead me to a place that I've never been. Plus, they change moods up regularly and each song is like its own individual album. When you add the lyrics, they work well and show that effort has been put into them, if you can understand them with that robot harmony effect.
On the other end of the shovel
Speaking of robotic harmony, that's probably one thing that would throw people off. With all they have going for it I fear the vocal effects will keep them from having a mainstream following even though it helps to single the band out. Plus, with so many change-ups I believe someone would have to do as I did and kick back with headphones on and let the music take over. If Communion was playing in the background one might consider it noise and get away from it. I don’t feel this would be an appropriate artist to listen to if you are multitasking. Communion definitely needs you to pay attention or it might turn out being background noise.
How deep can I dig this?
I took the time to sit back in headphones. I realized that if I relied solely on my laptop speakers or was browsing the internet while listening, this music would be a total distraction. As such, I was introduced to a new style of blistering bass sounds, crunchy stop and go guitar riffs, orchestra spots sprinkled in and was left with a modern day, punchy Pink Floyd/Devin Townsend. I didn't mind the harmonic robot effect on the voice as I believed it added definition and variety. Would it have gone on for another 5 or 6 songs I do feel it would have lowered my score. However, others might definitely turn away if they don't give this a personal investment. Truly, it’s not uncommon for people to have music playing and be occupied with other things going on. If that’s you and you can’t give music your undivided attention you’ll probably turn away from it abruptly. For me, this rubbed me in the right spot for 4 tracks in a row. Where others might consider this around a 6, I gave it my personal, full attention and had an amazing time which allowed me to dig Vvon Dogma I's Communion EP 8 out of 10 feet deep.