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VEGA
Stereo Messiah

Frontiers (2014)
Rating: 5/10

Nick Workman (vocals), Marcus Thurston (guitar), Tom Martin (bass), Dan Chantrey (drums) and James Martin (keyboards) are the key players in Brit rock combo Vega and Stereo Messiah is the band’s third release.

Vega is responsible for a high octane brand of clean-cut, concise hard rock which relies on heavy melodies and also a good degree of experimentalism. This is clinical, well-packaged rock that drives a hard bargain and rarely falters, but does have a slight tendency to leave the listener just a tad cold around the ears. However, having said that there is a high level of consistency for these guys who display an intelligence and maturity when it comes to their solid rock.

I guess if one was to marry melodic hard rock with power metal flecks and in turn blend it with progressive elements then we’d reach the void inhabited by these guys. However, just when you think the ideas are going to wear a little thin they churn out the cascading anthem ‘With Both Hands’ which is more of a heavy U2-styled plod.

But for me, the standout track is the unexpected ‘10 x Bigger Than Love’ which was written by and features Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliot. It’s a strange mix of psychedelic sitar and 80s hair metal, with my only issue being that Nick Workman seems to attempt to ape Elliot. I’m thinking that this would have been better off stuck on a Def Leppard opus as it doesn’t really fit in, and yet it is the band at their warmest admittedly.

Elsewhere, we have ‘The Wild, The Weird, The Wonderful’ – another icy rumbler featuring a catchy guitar hook and a nice subtle vocal display from Workman.

Although I’ve enjoyed this opus it is one that starts to grate after a few listens. Vega – in spite of its occasional diverse sways – is first and foremost a rather straight-laced heavy rock band that rarely excites, but instead smothers me with a pristine blanket of sound which in spite of some impressive leads and durable percussion lacks the required fire to melt the ice.

As each song drifts by I’m certainly feeling the emotion and appreciative of the art and craft necessary to construct such tunes, but it’s not the sort of rock I can constantly listen to for fear of boredom. For me, Vega produce a throbbing brand of bland rock that sits on the other side of the fence and tends to loiter in the realm marked “brain freeze”.

Neil Arnold

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