Photo Credit – U.V. Photography
*This is a part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state.*
This month’s state is Georgia!
For this month’s final ‘State Of The Art’ for our featured state of Georgia, I thought I would take a look at a band that up until a year ago were a mindset, as opposed to a reality. Having thundered onto the scene quite literally out of nowhere after dropping their intense debut EP ‘In Retrospect’ in August last year, let me welcome Atlanta-based (yes, the place where it’s all happening!) metallers Vacant.
The quintet featuring Jaden Garrity (vocals), Christian Nowatzki (guitar), Daniel Norton (guitar), David Adler-Diaz (drums) and Gage Tindol (bass) have already created quite a storm in their hometown, which has seen them gain their place supporting Carnifex on the Atlanta date of the ‘Chaos & Carnage’ Tour. Featuring alongside Oceano, Spite, Buried Above Ground, Shadow of Intent and Shryne the event will take place on April 16th at the Masquerade, Atlanta – and I think it’s fair to say that they have certainly earned their place! (Tickets here)
Whilst their name might initially denote connotations of absence and emotionlessness, the name serves as a beautifully ironic metaphor – for what you speculate is on the outside is not necessarily what is real inside! Their music is hard-hitting, angry and raw nu-metal infused metalcore at it’s finest that serves as a pissed-off adrenaline punch with an overwhelming sense of danger and uncertainty. But, they have a maturity about them. Dealing with very strong topics throughout their lyrics that deal with many different throws of mental health, at a time when it needs to be talked about. They don’t discriminate, they are creating a dialogue and are telling truths that so many of us only know to well, but were perhaps afraid to tell. Vacant, they deal honestly and openly amongst a tirade of crushing riffs and pounding bass lines in a way that makes mental health awareness accessible, but also serves as a big f-you to those inner demons!
On ‘In Retrospect’ – “ [It] is a concept record that delves into the mystery of what true paranoia is to the human mind. Each song has its own significance to the concept, and is told through the perspective of one character, as they slowly start to lose themselves to their own mind.”
“Feels like I’m losing what’s left of my mind, It’s rising to the surface and it pushes me down, God I’m so desperate for a way out of this…” – “Dissociate”
Whilst on paper they may not be doing anything new, there is an air of excitement and urgency to their sound and an overall feeling of sheer dedication and gut-wrenching emotion. They have poured their hearts and souls into their debut EP with possible new music teased for their set at ‘Chaos & Carnage’. And this is only the beginning, Vacant are full of strong potential and are certainly a band whose career I will be watching intently.
Produced/Recorded/Mixed by Aaron Pace at AP Audio. Mastered by Taylor Gormley. Shot/Edited by Robbie Grantham at Angle Media.
