VEXED – Negative Energy
VEXED – Negative Energy
Napalm Records
Release Date: 23/06/23
Running Time: 46:00
Review by Rory Bentley
7/10
We are currently drowning in great heavy British bands and my friends, I am here for it! With the likes of Pupil Slicer, Conjurer, Ithaca and Employed to Serve among many others absolutely tearing up the Metal scene on record and onstage, every new release from a homegrown band feels like an exciting event. After causing some ripples with their debut, Alt Metallers VEXED are bringing some “Negative Energy” to the party, and there’s plenty to celebrate.
Combining a mutant combo of Groove, Djent and a little splash of Nu-Metal with stark and heavy lyrical content, VEXED don’t mince their words on their sophomore release, and this blunt and bludgeoning approach is definitely a good thing, though not without a few areas for improvement.
‘Anti-Fetish’ is a scintillating way to get things up and running after intro track ‘PTSD’, as lumbering slightly off kilter riffs pound away while singer Megan Targett delivers a furious riposte to toxic online culture in a manner reminiscent of a grizzly bear that’s just found out Goldilocks has pissed in its porridge. Incredibley intense yet delivered with a flow and swagger that sits well with the core groove of the song.
Follow up track ‘We Don’t Talk About It’ manages to up the ante to even more harrowing levels, with a clever and affecting account of how childhood trauma manifests in everyday aspects of adult life. The sledgehammer riffs are still there along with the punishing grooves, so there’s still plenty of scope to bang your head but what really makes the song great is the juxtaposition between incredibly vulnerable lyrics and powerful, commanding delivery.
These two songs form a pattern for much of the rest of the album, as tough topics are tackled unflinchingly via the medium of riffs so filthy and glitchy you’ll need your ears syringed by the end of the record. Of these offerings I found ‘Panic Attack’ the most effective, the music doing its best to make me want to double my fluoxetine and the lyrics once more searingly honest and direct. On the other side of the coin ‘Lay Down Your Flowers’, which is bolstered by guest vocals from Alpha Wolf’s Lochie Keough, is an empowering and furious fuck you to abusive partners and their hollow apologies which is sadly relatable to a lot of us.
It’s all very heavy going and intensely delivered however I felt the songs losing a little impact as the album progressed, with the first half largely staying in the same lane. There’s not quite enough variety in tempo to make some songs stand out from the pack or draw as much blood as earlier cuts.
Thankfully things do pick up significantly again as the album closes out, with Targett showing impressive versatility on the more melodic ‘Default’ where she brings soaring clean vocals to a powerful and much needed chorus. The band also show they have more in their songwriting arsenal here, crafting a potential festival singalong hitherto not hinted at.
The silky guitar work on ‘Trauma Euphoria’ and the moving and angelic vocal work on ‘It’s Not The End’ offer further surprises as the record rallies to a late run of adventurous form that makes me a bit ‘vexed’ (sorry) that these ideas weren’t implemented earlier. Particularly when the trippy ‘DMT’ comes in with glitchy beats and 808s that maintain a sinister atmosphere without the crutch of doing a slightly samey Djent riff again. Still, better late than never, and when combined with the entertainingly on the nose and super aggressive ‘Nepotism’ things end on a satisfying note that made me bump the score up and look forward to the band’s next move.
Maybe I’ve been a bit spoiled but I was expecting a little more progression from the debut than we get here, but from a more optimistic stance there’s still tons of enjoyable moments on here that will clearly be devastating live and the strong finish and green chutes of experimentation bode well for album number three. “Negative Energy” is a net positive album and Vexed are well worth going in on if you like your riffs rowdy and your lyrics raw.
‘Anti-Fetish’ Official Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. PTSD
02. Anti-Fetish
03. We Don’t Talk About It
04. X my <3 (Hope To Die)
05. Panic Attack
06. Lay Down Your Flowers
07. There’s No Place Like Home
08. Extremist
09. Default
10. Trauma Euphoria
11. It’s Not The End
12. DMT
13. Nepotism
LINE-UP:
Megan Targett – Vocals
Jay Bacon – Guitar
Willem Mason-Geraghty – Drums
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rory Bentleyand Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
