Artist: Vlad In Tears
Title: Night in Vladyland
Genre: Dark Rock
Release: 14th December 2012
Label: ZYX Music
Review Flash
At first appearance the title of VLAD IN TEARS´ EP reminds of a children´s ghost story, some kind of playfulness, humour and self-irony, but musically it couldn´t be more far away from it. Meagrely studded with three songs (two of them only new), ‘Night in Vladyland’ offers solid Dark Rock according with the common formula. Distorted guitars and stomping drums augur pressure and energy (and the crowds head-shaking) and the interspersed electronic layers provide the sonic three-dimensionality (pulling it out the radius of customary hard rock). Located somewhere between KORN, MANSON in a smooch mood and the melodic of some of the earlier HIM stuff, the two songs and their schemata are all too familiar for catching attention that lasts longer than to the second chorus. It is technically well done and the production is flawlessly, but for a second run it´s too monochrome and predictable.
Conclusion: ‘Night in Vladyland’ is Dark Rock, that keeps pace with times, but it´s too strictly modelled by the rulebook for standing out the shower of musical similarities pouring down these days. Only Kris Vlad´s vocals preserve it temporarily from an artistic interchange ability.
Rating: 5 / 10
