ALBUM REVIEW: Encephalon – Vorstellan

The rolling hills and beauty spots of the Lake District are what many people will think of when they heard the word Cumbria, however VORSTELLAN have now begun the journey to get their own name in the picture. Formed as a solo project six years ago by Jacob Knight as a synth-influenced project, the arrival of drummer Matt Donaldson saw the duo move away from the keyboards and evolve into an outfit playing music inspired by grunge, alt rock and the 90’s guitar scene in general. Now, their work has been released as Encephalon, their debut album and available on all streaming platforms.

It isn’t just the last decade of the millennium that makes an appearance within VORSTELLAN‘s style – there’s plenty from the first of the next to digest too. This blend isn’t all that uncommon, of course, but with songs like Avalanche evoking the likes of THE SMASHING PUMPKINS and PLACEBO, and A THOUSAND SMILES giving off vibes closer to TAKING BACK SUNDAY and THE ALL AMERICAN REJECTS, there’s certainly something in Encephalon for fans of both to enjoy. There’s also a fair amount of grit in the guitars, particularly on the latter tracks like Running Away and My Disaster, which sparkle and provide substance. The whole concept of the record as well, taking place inside a counselling session, is well executed, even if the spoken word sections have a tendency to disrupt the flow of the work as a whole.

The album also suffers from a sluggish opening half. Monster is the best of the bunch, a strong 00’s hard rock/nu metal drive and catchy chorus bringing it through, but Novocaine is far less memorable, failing to engage and passing by without really catching the attention. Home also has its problems, mainly that the song ends rather abruptly just as it’s really beginning to get going, which leaves the listener wondering exactly where it could have gone if it had been continued for another half a minute or so. However, the strength of the remaining tracks helps Encephalon greatly; My Disaster is arguably the strongest song on the record, with the best riff of the bunch and a nice pacing throughout and the closing track leaves an air of expectant mystery – is this a response to a previous question from the anonymous counsellor? A lamentation on the overall theme? An indication of what is to come from VORSTELLAN‘s follow up work? In any event, it’ll pique an interest and one that should carry over nicely.

Thanks to the second half, Encephalon has shown VORSTELLAN do have potential. It’s highly unlikely that it’ll take another six years for a follow up and perhaps then a few of the questions left from the album will be answered. Even if they’re not though, this creative cocktail of genres is certainly one that will appeal to a wide variety of music lovers and help their fanbase grow significantly.

Rating: 7/10

Encephalon is out now via self release. 

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