SINGLE REVIEW: VODNIK - OUR DREAD, OUR JOY
‘Our Dread, Our Joy’ is the first single from Canadian groove metal ‘Vodnik’ who are planning on releasing their debut EP later in the year. Describing themselves as a band that “approach the genre with a blend of heavier and lighter styles” ‘Vodnik’ set out with the aim of establishing a sound “that is both bizarre and ominous yet catchy and memorable.” Where ‘Vodnik’ certainly achieve the former of these, it is debatable on whether or not they have yet to achieve the latter. ‘Our Dread, Our Joy’ is a varied and diverse song that takes many twists and turns throughout its five minute duration. Starting with an ominous soundscape that launches into a gloriously heavy opening riff and ending with an almost acoustic melodic outro whilst adding in some ‘Pantera’ style breakdowns in between; you can’t fault ‘Vodnik’ for ambition. However, the track runs dangerously close to too many cooks spoiling the broth. Towards the end of the song, ‘Our Dread, Our Joy’ begins to sound less like an eclectic blend of genres and more of an oversaturated mix with too many ideas thrown together at once. Instrumentally, ‘Vodnik’ demonstrate a great command over dynamics and no shortage of riffs, whilst the nightmarish growl of vocalist Reinier Vandenbosch is enough to set your hairs on end. All of the basic elements are in place for ‘Vodnik’, however we feel that they still need some work on the execution.
