When Burning Records got started they put out a comp. CD called Ears to the Ground Vol. 1. This was a 19 track CD with 8 different bands. In my review the first band I mentioned as being a highlight was Vessel as they were the most outstanding band on the CD. I was anxious to hear what these guys could offer in the way of a full length presentation.
Well that time has come and Burning Records has put out their first self titled full length. Was it worth the wait? HECK YES! These guys are really good. They produce powerful hardcore that churns away at a nice mid-paced rate. BUT what's with that drummer slaying me with all that double bass? Man I dig it. The timing is as off as you could possibly want in any hardcore album. The vocals remind me of a cross between xDisciplex and Strongarm...actually I guess if you just said they were clearer than xDisciplex you'd have a good idea of what I'm talking about. Anyway being as xDisciplex and Strongarm are pretty much 2 of my top 3 favorite hardcore vocalists this is trying its best to be a HUGE compliment to Andrew Labedz who handles the vox for Vessel. I really feel the urge to simply call these guys new school hardcore even though they have some metal influence because they aren't metal dripping. But with so much energy in their music, super chunky guitars, and those blazing/passionate vocals, you can't help dancing around the room while this one spins! (Betcha live, and in front of their hometown crowd this is one CRAZEEE Show.)
Lyrics on this album are as tight as can be. It made me smile just to look through the lyric sheet and see the words God, Christ and Jesus popping out. They aren't thrown in out of a need to have a certain number of JPS (Jesus Per Song) ratio either. The songs glorify the risen saviour while at the same time addressing problems we all face each and every day. These guys are simply REAL in their music.
Production isn't what you call absolutely top notch, but it is so much better than many many albums I've heard (Including some from that dental/construction label we all know and uh...buy CDs from) so I can't really bag this CD there. If I had to give some negative talk about this CD I'd simply be forced to tell you the insert is kind of boring, and the lyrics are difficult to read because they are all smashed together in these two big paragraphs. The songs do tend to somewhat blur together, on the next project the boys need to work on having a bit more diversity in their music. Whereas here you're given 9 tracks that just simply kick your head in the same way each time! OK there, that's the best (or worst) I can come up with. As you can see it's certainly no reason to not get a copy of this album...the longer you wait the more you will regret not having gotten it sooner when you do finally get it.
8/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #89Reviewed by Doug Van PeltMeaty, straight-ahead punk of the hardcore variety. Plenty of metal toughness is present - the kind of muscle-bound hardcore that is exemplified by bulging veins in the forehead and neck, and spit flying everywhere. Make sure you clear a wide empty space in your room before playing this album, cause you might break stuff.Decapolis 2001Reviewed by Nate BaileyFrom Ohio, Vessel has put out this nine song EP on new label, Burning Records. This release is a hard listen, with slow songs and a very, very bad recording. Playing a generic form of metalcore, Vessel just doesn't leave a good impression with this EP. To start with, the whole recording is very flat sounding with songs that are painfully slow in developing. The overall presentation makes it very…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Michial FarmerWith a band name like Vessel and a label name like Burning Records, what else could this be but hardcore? Now, it's pretty much no secret that I'm not a big fan of the genre (see my Tollbooth review of Selfmindead if you don't believe me), but every once in awhile, a hardcore band will put out an album that blows my little Georgian mind. So where does Vessel fit into this equation? Somewhere in…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by Hey YouBurning Records has got some brutal, tough hardcore here in Vessel. The first song starts slow with some cool drumming then blows up into a furiously paced onslaught with some ballistic double bass. The vocals remind me a lot of xdisciplex, very meaty and brutal. Periodically, low vocals enter in, as well as some cool high vocals. The music is devastating. Very heavy. However, the production…
