i've listened to virgin black all the way back when they were doing australian metal comps. I loved those songs. the mother of cripples in particular was my favorite.
well, when i finally picked up the Trance ep... i was expecting the doom/gothic rock/metal... and when i opened it up... i was expecting the doom/gothic rock/metal.
so, when i put it in and hit play... i found it odd that the cd started with a drum machine track... and moved into a piano bit that was ... somewhat different but really cool and still somewhat like their old stuff... i could immediately tell that i was in for something different, just by the feel, but i didn't know how much different until the guitars began. as soon as the guitars kicked in with the real drums in the off time from the cool beginning to the sloppy execution of the guitar (at this part at least), i knew they had changed... a lot.
the guitars quiet down and are left with a whispered voice that wishes it could growl... but that sounds cool all the same. the lyrics for this album are great... poetry with christ being centered and yet they are trying to let people see that they are human.
the second song is the let-down song i think... the lyrics aren't written by them and the music has an uncanny resemblance to mission impossible... but they're aussie so....
the third song i believe to be the musical and lyrical genius of the album... a song that deserves some play (except for something i will mention in a second). this song's lyrics are the key point to the coolness of this cd i think... it's not often that you find a christian band who is willing to come out and say "yes i am saved, yes i am forgiven, but it doesn't stop my anguish, it doesn't stop the pain, it doesn't stop me wanting to die" i give them kudos and a big thank you for their message. i know how many times i've felt like dying just from the pressure of being a christian... let alone the rest of the world... but they give hope as well... "i refuse to believe i was born to suffer i was born to prosper"
even in a time of pain... even when you want to die... you were born to prosper and get over your pain... not let it take you down... you were not born to suffer. It's the rough gist of it.
the biggest downfall of this album are the vocals which at times especially in the third song rival the annoyances of dj in non-existent. i'm serious... these are some of the most annoying singing voices i've ever heard. in fact, it's to such a point that my friends and i have made fun of the lead singer by placing his voice in 'abortion is murder' by POD... it'd be funny, it'd be fresh, it'd be annoying.
the only reasons this cd wasn't a 10 are song 2, the vocals, and the length. so... you can buy this 3 song ep with annoying vocals and enjoy it for what it is... or you can let this 3 song ep sit on a shelf ... it's up to you... but i think i got something out of it.
7/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #76Reviewed by Doug Van PeltRemember hearing this band on one of Steve Rowe's Australian metal compilations? Well, they're back with a 3- song epic EP (clocking in at just over 13 minutes) that is totally brutal. It starts off with an innocent techno sounding chime for nearly a minute before the Believer-like skilled rhythm section rips yer head off. The vocals juggle between high-end gothic to whispery black metal. The…Dead Zine 1998Reviewed by GrindboyIf you, like me, heard this band on Falling on Deaf Ears and went ape over what you heard, it's your lucky day! Trance is the first thing I've heard from VB since then, and it rocks. The first two tracks are, to me, somewhat of a departure from what we heard on Falling . . .. The beats are built around the high-hat, giving them an interesting -- and very cool -- dance/trance goth metal sound. The…Similar sounding releases
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