Album Review: Vein.fm – “This World Is Going to Ruin You”
Posted: by The Editor
After 2018’s Errorzone, Vein (now known as vein.fm) have returned with more grit and grime than ever before. On This World Is Going To Ruin You, vein.fm take on a darker tone. By incorporating more metallic tones, heavier bass, and letting the vocals take a back seat in the mix, vein.fm are definitely delivering a sense of pain and dread on this record. These darker forces are allowing vein.fm to enter a luring and dooming record that is a non-stop roller coaster of wall-to-wall sound. With more intense metallic break-downs and quaking vocals, the album feels like vein.fm is pushing everything to 11 on this record.
Opening track “Welcome Home” is a consistent breakdown of metallic and grimey guitars pierced by stagnant drums. Only around the 50-second mark do we get introduced to the vocals. Unlike on Errorzone, lead singer Anthony’s vocals feel heavier and more painful. The vocal delivery is pushing on the breaks of wiping his entire voice away. Enriching the tones of the track and aiding to elevate the piercing sounds of the percussion. “Welcome Home” certainly sets the tone for what’s to come.
Following track, “The Killing Womb”, previously released as a single, is definitely one of the holy grails of the record. Opening with another intense riff the drums take a more subtle approach to the track. Rather than piercing like in the opening track, the rhythm section seems to blend in more with the melody of the guitar riffs and breakdowns. In the first couple of seconds of the track, the vocal delivery is muffled out. Only until later in the track do the instrumentals break and the vocals really shine through. Creating an ear-full of hefty and filling sound. What vein.fm do so successfully in their songwriting is allowing for the songs to breathe. Many times with bands who have a similar sound to vein.fm’s, the songwriting and production is all wall-to-wall sound with no breaks so each instrument feels as if it is competing with one another. What vein.fm does that makes these songs very compelling and less abrasive is allowing for certain instrumentals to shine. Such as letting the vocals take center stage or allowing for the drums or bass to lead the track through. It is small elements such as these that showcase the talents of the band’s songwriting and hand in the production of the record.
Another stand out track, “Fear in Non Fiction ” harks back to the sounds that the band introduced on Errorzone. However, what elevates and pushes the envelope on this track is the tone of the instruments. The metal influence has taken on a new meaning on This World Is Going to Ruin You. It makes all of the instrumentals appear darker and almost doom-like. They are sharp and razor-cutting while also having a duality of being gritty and sticky at times. It’s this tone that makes tracks such as “Fear in Non Fiction” such stand outs. Through the exploration and tweaking of their overall tone, the band have created more of an abrasive and brash sound that blends the lines of hardcore and metal.
Other tracks such as “Lights Out”, “Magazine Beach”, and “Orgy In the Morgue” further exemplify the depth of songwriting that vein.fm has done on this record. The dynamics in how the band constantly switches between riffs so seamlessly while keeping the integrity of the track’s tone intact is no small feat. Only a band with the musicianship like vein.fm’s can pull these difficult tracks off. Very easily these kinds of riffs and breakdowns can slip and open up cracks in the track that make them feel sloppy, however with vein.fm, they are constantly refining and perfecting these challenging sound paths to bring the listener through a hellscape of sound. “Lights Out” is a constant blast and bait-switch of sound every 15-30 seconds, yet the band maintains integrity throughout the track. Making for a sincere head rattle of a track. “Magazine Beach” and “Orgy In the Morgue” both show off how well the production of this record is and how meticulous the recording must have been. Each and every note has a place in the track and does not get lost at all. The ebbs and flows of how each of the instruments present itself allude to the weaving of darkness in and out of life itself. Vein.fm captures the constant rattling of life these last couple of years. On This World Is Going To Ruin You, vein.fm certainly make the listener feel kicked when you’re knocked down.
Disappointing / Average / Good / Great / Phenomenal
This World Is Going To Ruin You is out March 4th on Closed Casket Records
Review by Sarah Knoll
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