VOLA
Friend Of A Phantom
Mascot Records
Imagine the scenario that you are tasked with helping someone get into prog metal: with such a
broad subgenre, where do you go to ensure they get a taste of everything? Simply, direct them to
‘Friend Of A Phantom’ and voila, sorry, VOLA.
On the band’s fourth album, the Scandinavian collective truly distils their offering down to the true
essence of VOLA: marvellous melodicism, heavy riffs and a penchant for electronics that provide
multi-layered textures aplenty. Whether it’s the heft of opener “Cannibal” (with In Flames’
frontman Anders Fridén guesting), the EDM-influenced “Break My Lying Tongue”, or delicate
“Glass Mannequin”, a would-be prog metal newbie would probably find a happy home amongst
these. Vocalist Asger Mygind’s sweet tenor offers a soothing respite amidst the maelstrom of riffs
and electronics, further proving the band’s meticulous ear for musicality, culminating in the
sublime, angular and at-times aggressive “Hollow Kid”.
You do not get to four albums without knowing your stuff, and VOLA’s ‘Friend Of A Phantom’
certainly demonstrates a band on top of their game. Thus, it would be a fine introduction to the
subgenre for newbies (or continued exploration of it for veterans).
Review by Lee Carter