VENDED - What is it//Kill it Review

Considering their lineage, Vended have a lot to live up to in the music scene. The lead singer being the son of notorious Corey Taylor and their resident drummer the son of Shaun 'Clown' Crahan, this band has all the makings of a metal megalodon ready to rear its head into the mainstream. With their new EP 'What is it//Kill it' Vended prove they don't need their big named star Dads to create their own legacy, with five blistering tracks that are sonically brilliant and pretty diverse.

Antibody was the perfect way to open the EP. Its a fistfight of a track, with some amazing drum lines, with impressive blast beats from Simon Crahan. Taylor's vocal delivery is similar to that of his fathers, but almost grittier. Whereas Corey's style is defined, his son has plenty of room to experiment, and gives this opener a lot of pure rage and aggression, which is brilliant to hear. His deeper screams are earthier in tone than Corey's, so I'm glad his entire vocal range isn't based off of his Dad. The small breakaways are also great, creating this immense build that evolves into a brilliant ending to the track, full of some brilliant repetitive riffs and drum beats that i can't get enough of. It leaves you wanting more as it trails away, just like any good EP should do.

Asylum is a bit of a grower, opting for a bass heavy intro before once again blasting into your ears triumphantly. I like the emphasis on the repeated bassline before it gets into the thick of it. Taylor's lyrics are good in this track, and again his vocal delivery is different. I like the dynamism of both the vocals and instrumental, and the broken guitar notes building to the chorus are a brilliant touch to really build the gratification of it all coming together. The whispering has an air of 'People = Shit', a nod to where they come from perhaps, but my god does this separate Vended from the crowd as it batters its way into the next track after a brilliant breakdown section that feels totally deserved.

Its the same story across the next two tracks My Wrongs and Bloodline. Both are pumping tracks with glorious riffs supported by an absolutely sensational bit of drumming from Crahan. My Wrongs is more proof of Taylor's ability to change his voice up for a new track, with more of a purely shouty and punch delivery instead of the bassy screams of earlier. Bloodline chews you up and spits you out, with some more great sonic pairings. The building riffs, the slowly entering drums and absolutely gorgeous ending melding with Taylors words perfectly.

Burn My Misery is the perfect closer, almost parodying the last track in its slow opening before blasting out into your ears. Its fast and violent, one final punch in the throat before it ends. The chorus is brilliant, the wailing riff underscoring the vocals and drums perfectly, creating a sonic treat for the ears similar to 'Nero Forte'. Strong comparison i know, but seriously, this is that good. Not perfect like the aforementioned banger, but definitely the best on this EP, ending as strong as it started.

(Image rights to NME)

TL;DR - Vended have proved their worth as a solid band in the Metal scene. This EP is a solid listen and is definitely replayable. I'll be keeping a keen eye on this Iowa 5 piece for any future music, because if its anything like this, i'll love it.

SCORE - 9.5/10