TikTok is a well of curious discovery where thousands of bands are all competing for the same few seconds, and the majority struggle to set themselves apart from each other, but with Vanitas we have lore, passionate storytelling and a vibrant brand of progressive metal which harkens back to a time when djent was still buzzing with excitement. Birmingham’s Vanitas are sincere and fresh, taking from the genre’s most flamboyant voices in Devil Townsend and Periphery it’s a barrage of soaring melodies and instrumental wizardry with a degree of endearing pomp to peacock their visuals into the memory. The band have an impressive array of visuals to bring additional dimensions from video game influences from Dark Souls to Final Fantasy, which litter an impressive 4 full production music videos to accompany the EP. The band’s commitment to their artistic imagery has rightfully enticed a cultish following and for a band in their infancy their potential feels limitless.
“The band's commitment to their artistic imagery has rightfully enticed a cultish following and for a band in their infancy their potential feels limitless.”
The journey begins with the voice of Jade Maris, our charismatic vocalist, who recites a mission statement augmented by strings as our instrumental section roars into a composition fit for a Japanese video game battle. Vanitas waste no time in diving straight into a rollercoaster of progressive metal with ‘Eclipse’ where drums thunder through the chugs and celestial vocals and symphonic majesty make you feel like a hero protagonist. Leaning so greatly into the video game character arc is one of the great strength of Vanitas. We’ve seen a lot of bands use video game lore as a mere Easter egg to gently nod to their influences, but to embrace it fully gives them a rich and unique identity which keeps the music feel fleshed out. Jade Maris is an exceptionally dynamic talent whether it’s the gutturals of ‘Your Demise’ or the tender piano driven introduction in ‘Solaire’, she has a scary amount of potential to grow into, and she sits firmly at the centre of this EP and never wavers in her charisma and energy.
For those who are of a djent or tech metal persuasion but feel the genre takes itself a little too seriously, Vanitas are on the rise, bringing some much-needed colour and personality to the modern metal world.