Hailing from New Jersey and rising from the ashes of East Coast bands including Vessl and A Life Once Lost, Vexes released their debut album Ancient Geometry in 2018, which saw strong comparisons with Deftones and a clear influence of the seminal band in their work. Fast forward five years and Vexes are following up with Imagine What We Could Destroy /// If Only Given Time (Self-Released) their sophomore double album.

Opening with the spoken word intro of what sounds like an android talking about trust in the human race over lush synth pads, an alluring tone is set for the record before the single ‘Beyond The Sinking’ kicks things off proper, with the familiarity of down-tuned riffs and the emotionally strained vocals of Charlie Berezansky. The track sees little deviation from their earlier work, with the band picking up exactly where they left off, with a tried and tested formula that had seen a healthy buzz created around their arrival. 

Berezansky’s vocal style certainly mirrors that of Chino Moreno which is some compliment to be fair, with the similarity in style flowing through further tracks like ‘End With Me’, ‘Dryspit’, and ‘Bleak Machine’. There are also hints of a progressive influence, and a sound in places similar to Karnivool, with the band also creating many melodic breaks and interludes, using synths, piano and electronica to create opulent soundscapes throughout the long journey of the album, especially as it heads into the more experimental second half. 

This does help to keep such an opus interesting, and there are some undoubtedly classy heavy riffs scattered within the body of work, with the band having clearly been prolific in their writing over the last few years. Production wise there is a beautiful sound to the low end, and everything sounds pretty great, really. In this day and age it is however a big ask to expect a listener to immerse themselves in twenty-four tracks from start to finish, as an album should really be enjoyed. And although it maybe could have benefitted from being trimmed slightly, do not let that put you off discovering an extraordinarily talented band, and a record that should certainly help elevate their profile. 

Buy the album here: https://www.wearevexes.com

8 / 10 

ABSTRAKT_SOUL_