ALBUM REVIEW: V-A-P-O-U-R-S – Fahran

Nottingham has long since been a hot destination in the UK music scene. With its iconic venues such as Rock City, it is often standard procedure for the biggest bands to stop their on their countrywide tours, the result of this being that the local music scene has ended up equally thriving. One such band that the city has to offer is FAHRAN, who are set to follow up on their 2014 album with a brand new effort V-A-P-O-U-R-S. Self-produced and self-recorded in their hometown, this record acts as a fantastic indicator of how far they have come and what they are capable of when left to their own devices.

Their brand of quirky metal is cemented with opener Home, a pulsating track that exerts high energy levels and catchy foundations. It’s riff heavy, with twin guitars jousting for supremacy aside machine-gun drums and melodic soaring vocals. Each note can be felt, with the song feeling like an intrusive insight into the band’s psyche. Stand Alone is similar, where a huge riff slides into view peppered with abundant double kicks and towering choruses. One such chorus plays out into a weighty breakdown, a battering onslaught that adds a further dimension to a track rippling with life.

At times the record can feel a little straightforward, not particularly challenging the listener, but then in other places, FAHRAN have opened up the floodgates and challenged themselves with the quality of songwriting. Take State Of Mind as an example, where a melodic introduction leads into an anthemic free for all, before Wake Up calms affairs with a more sedate approach. The guitars ache here, tasked with building an emotive atmosphere, a challenge that is succeeded with relative ease. “We cut ourselves wide open as we drown in misery” stands out as a particularly biting lyric, one of many that contribute to the cathartic, heartfelt approach that this album carries.

In tracks like Pyre, the groove intensifies, showing FAHRAN not just as a band capable of writing sturdy hooks, but also one able to lift a crowd off their feet. The guitars again combine with refined efficiency, and bass purrs beneath the wrenching melody, adding to the bulging soundscape. The ever changing sonic landscape continues to meander with Already Gone, where the pace again lowers to a simmer. This is a by-the-book tearjerker, beginning soft and gentle before growing out into a wealth of appealing rock. It might feel a little repetitive at times, but it is passionate enough and allows us to recatch our breath before The Bitter Taste Of You.

Requiem is the longest track on the album, and is the perfect example of FAHRAN demonstrating their level of musicianship. It’s a whistlestop tour of pounding riffs, gargantuan solos and a vocal performance that surpasses anything else that the album has offered so far. This track shows FAHRAN at their very best, and together with the delicate I’m Still Me it closes the album in emphatic style. On the whole, V-A-P-O-U-R-S is an enjoyable listen, and moving forward, they can stand deserved of their place in that thriving Nottingham scene.

Rating: 7/10

V-A-P-O-U-R-S is set for release June 28th via self release.

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