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Vow To Conquer - Call To Arms EP (Submitted Review)

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Oct 24, 2017

7 min read

Vow To Conquer - Call to Arms EP
Released: 17th September, 2017

Vow To Conquer are:

Gareth ‘Slam’ Dunker // Vocals + Rhythm Guitar
B.M. Sanchez // Lead Guitar
Lez ‘Gatman’ Messenger // Bass + Backup Vocals
Chipp Dredd // Drums + Backup Vocals

Vow To Conquer online:

Facebook
Bandcamp
Instagram

There is an inherently unavoidable dilemma that arises on the subject of local bands - not only in reviewing, but also in listening for pleasure: namely, how much slack do you cut them simply for being a local band?

And this isn’t necessarily a negative or unreasonable thought to have. After all, many local bands do not have the means to achieve the sizzling tones or exquisite production quality that we’re all so familiar with. Many local bands have not had nearly as much songwriting experience as the label artists we’re all accustomed to. Many local bands are still finding themselves as musicians! As a result, it’s not at all uncommon to hear the phrase “for a local band” thrown around.

"They’re good - for a local band."

With this in mind, Vow to Conquer’s debut EP, Call To Arms - though undeniably hindered in a production sense by their local disposition - brings with it all the signs of a very promising up and coming metal band. Their seamless blending of Metallica-style riffing and Avenged Sevenfold-style screaming/soloing places them in a unique sweet spot to effortlessly borrow from heavy and melodic in shaping their own signature sound.

The first thing that grabs your attention in listening to Call To Arms is the quality of production, which is unfortunate, since it’s the thing that holds back this EP most - and there is so much more to be gained if you can sit through it. As such, I’ll address this factor a little later.

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The second thing to grab your attention is the quality of musicianship and songwriting present on this EP. In just a short five songs, Vow To Conquer have demonstrated themselves to be more than competent in song construction, and present a cohesive cohort of styles. From the anthemic choruses of 'Girl From My Nightmare' to the mind melting breakdown of 'Break Don’t Bend', there is a lot on offer. Perhaps the strongest song on the EP is the heavy and fast paced banger of a track, 'DownStricken' which also showcases a number of signature stylistic features, including screaming, hard hitting bell tolls (reminiscent of Metallica and even Slipknot), and cleverly placed glitch effects on vocal takes. The unapologetic open chugging and blistering wah solos make Vow To Conquer’s tracks straight up fun to listen to.

There is also an honest dedication to their message which resonates throughout the EP, with topics ranging from the battles of mental illness and the dangers of media, to a variety of broader humanities issues including religion and addiction. The finale, 'Bend Don’t Break', tackles Dunker’s own internal struggles with depression; “Please excuse me / as I lose my mind again”. It is refreshing to see such an unashamed display of honesty, which has largely been lost in the local metal scene in recent years.

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Unfortunately at the very crux of this matter, the poor production of Call To Arms severely hinders the enjoyability of the songs. It’s far from the worst instance of local recording, even reminiscent of a garage band aesthetic which would totally work for a grunge or indie rock lineup. But ultimately this band deserves to be listened to with a better put together set of recordings. The bland guitar tones, and myriad of vocal takes that almost- get- there- but- juuust- miss- the- note, as well as the poor EQ, create a wall of sound (heh) that makes it easy for ear fatigue and monotony to seep through in spite of the attention which Call To Arms should wield.

But hey, the bass tone is nice. With some better production, Vow To Conquer is well on track to be pumping out some truly solid alternative metal headbangers.

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