Five years ago, In Vain released Ænigma, a complicated 60 minutes of progressive death/black metal and now In Vain returns with Currents, bringing an equally complex blend of metal styles that goes even beyond their previous release in a collection of songs showcasing songcraft and strong, heavy performances.
Given the progressive death/doom label and their home in Norway, expectations are high for In Vain, a band that has been around for at least 11 years. In 2007, their debut album, The Latter Rain, was released and received critical acclaim as well as a sense of wonder over the epic feel of the album which featured nearly 20 additional musicians. As is often the case with new bands, critics were not so fond of the bands sophomore release, Mantra, in 2010. For Ænigma and now Currents, the band brought in Jens Borgen (Opeth, Soilwork, Borknagar) to handle production and mixing duties and as expected the album had an impressive powerful sound. Guest musicians always seem to show up on In Vain albums and notable for Currents is that Matthew Kiichi Heafy of Trivium makes a guest appearance on “Soul Adventurer”. As a driving theme for the album, the band talks about the shifts and changes happening in our time, from migrations and movements of people, traditions, and cultures to dramatic changes in lifestyles and traditions that challenges old patterns and create tensions and opportunities. Continue reading »
Norwegian prog. extreme metallers are currently on the road, supporting Orphaned Land (IL) on their “Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs” European tour 2018, also Subterranean Masquerade (US/NO/IL) and Aevum (IT) are part of this tour. Fan-filmed video footage from their sold out show in Arnhem (the Netherlands) yesterday (24 Feb.) can be watched below.
It has been a little over two months since Borknagar toured Europe together with four other bands, including In Vain. They did not have a concert in the Netherlands unfortunately. They did however perform just across the border in Oberhausen, Germany. When I arrived, it took me a while to get used to club Helvete. It looks like a large English pub that is transformed into a metal café rather than the typical music venues one sees in the Netherlands. The stage is rather small, but that comes with the advantage that you can get so close to the band members that you can almost touch them.
