ALBUM REVIEW: VAMP – Magnolia Park
Within the towering metropolis of Nocturne Nexus, a sprawling futuristic city that grows within the wilderness of the Shrouded Forest, the cursed foundations of VAMP, MAGNOLIA PARK’s third record, began to plant its roots within the alternative music landscape. The record is the most ambitious feat yet for the Florida five-piece MAGNOLIA PARK, who have constructed an otherworldly narrative of shadow cults, cursed magical objects and cyborg warriors, even placing themselves in the story as their own fantasy characters.
Whilst a lengthy backstory with concept art- can be found on their website, the real shining star of this new era is the album VAMP, eleven tracks of pure hedonism that give the band a real chance to let loose in the fantasy world they have created. The evolution of the MAGNOLIA PARK sound is fully realised in this record, elevating their cascading choruses with pressing moments of extreme tension. The real test is not only how the album is put together, but the cohesion of all the elements that have brought MAGNOLIA PARK to this great leap of faith- and how good of a soundtrack the record is for an intense D&D campaign.
MAGNOLIA PARK were surely looking for a deal with Netflix’s Arcane when creating the first half of the album. The cohesion of the first five tracks appears to be almost cinematic, accentuating moments of light and shade to craft high-intensity drama. Perhaps this is played too safely within the remit of what the band can create. There is no doubt that it is a very polished MAGNOLIA PARK sound, but there could have been more exploration sonically into their sprawling conceptual world.
Shadow Talk, Cult and The Screams are produced well, the lyrics are imaginative, and vocalist Josh Roberts’ vocals melt into the tracks. However, Worship is the first moment of conflict within the album, working with PLVTINUM and VANA to add electronica-infused layers to the track. Refreshingly, it presents a new dimension to the MAGNOLIA PARK formula, the dark underworld where screamed backing vocals lurk maliciously at the end of every lyric during the chorus.
In the chaos of it all, Shadow is intensely catchy. Released originally as a single, and then also plastered across the depths of alt TikTok, it is made to be a standout moment for the band- and deservedly so. Changing pace rather dramatically with Omen, the record is supercharged with one of the best breakdowns of the record. Whilst Wasted is the victory lap for this dynamic trio of tracks. There is a real shining change of attitude with the record, and the band leans into their pop-punk roots to create something truly inspiring. Arguably, it is the right combination of metalcore moments throughout Robert’s vocals and the guitars from both Freddie Criales and Tristan Torres, that the band’s move to the heavier end of what they can produce has allowed some wonderful contrasting moments that invest heavily in the listener’s overall experience.
With PINKNOISE, Crave is a track a little lost within the constellation of the other songs of the record. It feels like an apple fallen far from the tree of the first three songs of the record, with very little daring attitude. Reasons, however, is a moment of elation, a slow burn that draws the record towards its conclusion. A heavily textured track, there are a lot of layers that add to its emotional meaning, including soaring strings that fill the ambience in moments of silence. Closing off with Ophelia, the lyrics are the most human, and the façade is drawn from this fantasy world. The inner demons appear so real at this point in the record. A chapter closes, but the story is definitely far from over.
Whilst the record at times loses its way and becomes lost in the concept, there are moments that give the plot points it needs to truly become a thrilling story. The world is complex, and like emotions, has so much meaning that it is almost impossible to understand in its entirety. There is so much that makes its album what it is. We hope that for MAGNOLIA PARK fans, the lore of VAMP is something that they can fully sink their teeth into. Unlike artists such as CREEPER and ICE NINE KILLS, leaning into the gothic here is not an excuse to become theatrical, it is something that the band truly believe in. When the curtain is drawn towards the end of the record, we see the band at their best, destined for adventure and baying for blood.
Rating: 7/10
VAMP is set for release on April 11th via Epitaph Records.
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