Customer Reviews

In the Garden of Souls

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Vas is one of the most beautiful and unique groups to come on the scene in a long time. I have no idea why people are trying to compare them to Loreena Mckennitt. Loreena has a very Celtic sound with middle eastern influences whereas Vas is almost entirely middle eastern with some african and classical influences. In other words, they are different and comparing them is pointless. Don't get me wrong, I love Loreena but comparing her to Vas is like comparing Deep Purple and the Beatles. Same genre, same country, totally different sound.

This is Vas's best album yet. Azam Ali's incredible, pure, powerful, sensuous voice is displayed to perfection. She is a truly beautiful woman with amazing talent. She is backed by the best. Greg Ellis is an amazing drummer. I loved Ceremony of Passage, it really displays his ability.

Here's my point, Vas is Vas. Just listen to their beautiful wall of sound and try not to compare. Let their music stand on its own merit.

This is the third album done by vocalist Azam Ali and percussionist Greg Ellis, and their best to date. Ali's talent is not simply that she has an expressive and beautiful voice, but that she transcends any particular language and creates a form of communication uniquely her own.

As you listen you will sometimes hear medieval sonorities (Beyond Despair), the devotional singing in an Indian temple (Samaya), or even the spiritual music of some imaginary Eastern country (Inamorata). As Inamorata ably demonstrates, she can do all of this in the space of a single song.

Ellis balances her perfectly playing an array of Indian and Middle Eastern instruments in a rhythmic patter that weaves around Azam Ali's voice without ever overpowering it. In fact, if Ellis has a fault it is that he his sometimes too invisible. Fortunately, one this album, he has a chance to shine on his own (especially in Ceremony of Passage), and the listener is well rewarded.

An interesting addition to the percussion, bells, santour, and oud, is a specially processed cello played by Cameron Stone. The result is often a dialogue between Ali's abstract language and the cello's wordless singing (Prayer for Soheil). The balance is perfect - while Azam Ali's singing naturally takes center stage, one quickly comes to understand that she wouldn't be there without her co-conspirators.

It is hard to single out favorites in this album, which is a carefully woven tapestry, intent on creating a sacred space. Vas has an ability to step outside ethnicities and cultural differences to produce a music that has appeal to a broad spectrum of listeners. The result is something beautiful and different.

I agree with the reviewer that points out that Vas is Vas and we shouldn't spend time trying to compare them to other artists. They are unique and listeners will only be disappointed if they are looking for a carbon copy of Lisa or Loreena. I love all these artists, but Vas are in their own territory far from anyone else. The music is moving and rythmic with soaring female vocals. The vocals are from the soul, real and honest but somehow perfect at the same time with true emotion and depth without words (she sings in toungues). In terms of instrumentation, the sheer myriad of instruments used on this CD is mind boggling. As far as trying to describe what the music sounds like, it is difficult, which is why I think many have reverted to comparisons of existing artists. It is a mish-mash of so many different musical cultures, mostly eastern. Trying to describe what genre Vas fits in is like trying to describe to someone what Enya sounds like (I am not comparing the two - they are worlds apart, they are just both difficult to pinpoint in terms of genre). It is indescribable. Listen to the samples and see for yourself what you think. For those of you already fans of Vas' music who are wondering if you should pick up their lastest - do it! This is their best album yet (I own all three) and you will not be disappointed.

About the Band:
Vas is a world music / heavenly voices band based out of Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1995 when vocalist Azam Ali and percussionist Greg Ellis met at UCLA, Vas is frequently compared to Dead Can Dance. It is a fair comparison, as most bands in this genre tend to be labeled as "like DCD", but Vas has a much more spiritual (or meditative) quality that is centered on Ali's wonderful voice. The emotional music is very powerful and humbling with Ellis's drums and other traditional instruments providing the perfect backdrop for Ali.

About the Album:
In the Garden of Souls is Vas's third album. I bought this album based on the many positive reviews here on amazon, and I'm very glad I did. Like many bands in the heavenly voices genre, ambient music often is underexposed and I think underappreciated. The album is very consistent, with most of the tracks featuring Ali's soft vocals and all of the tracks are blessed by Ellis's and Ali's percussion. The diverse list of percussion and bell based instruments used in the album include: hammered dulcimer, tanpura, frame drums, rigg, udu, Fabla, dumbek, Nagara, cymbals, and various bells. I enjoy listening to the hour-long album in its entirety.

Recommended Tracks:
- Sevdama
- The Inward Coil
- In the Garden of Souls
- Lila

Typically I like darker romantic pieces, and have listed my favorite tracks above. My favorite track is "Sevdama" which has a folk-like quality to it due to the Ellis's backing vocals and Cameron Stone's cello. If you are looking for dynamic drumming in the style of Corvus Corax, "Ceremony of Passage" will certainly please you. The short "Beyond Despair" reminds me of medieval influenced bands such as Love Is Colder Than Death.

Similar Artists:
- Dead Can Dance
- Irfan
- Das Zeichen
- Love Is Colder Than Death
- Moon Far Away
- Impressions of Winter
- Qntal
- Corvus Corax

First of all, let's address the Dead Can Dance issue. While it's clear that Vas has been influened by some of the same music and culture that has influenced DCD, it is neither accurate nor fair to paint Vas as a DCD knockoff.

Vas seems more firmly grounded in Far Eastern traditions, eschewing the cultural eclecticism of DCD for a more focused presentation. Where DCD had a number of tracks that delved into Middle Eastern dance, Vas stays decidedly mid-to-low tempo, offering music that is more suited to reflection or relaxation. Some of the album's slowest moments are almost haunting, but not in a sinister or unsettling way.

The vocals are lush and beautiful, and the instrumentation is appropriately exotic. Should appeal to fans of Enya, Loreena McKennitt, Rhea's Obsession, DCD, etc. A solid album.

Vas continues to amaze with the high quality of their music. The collaboration of Azam Ali and Greg Ellis remains one of the best examples of what can happen when rhythm and melody are balanced perfectly. Like their previous two CDs, there is a good mix of percussive and contemplative songs here. Top recommendation.

This is a nice enough CD, at times repetitious, but overall pleasant and well produced. Nice vocals and ambient sounds. I am only giving it three stars because not all tracks stand out (in fact there are only two that are powerful.

It could be the mysterious, inviting vocals, or the way the drums grab your heart and dictate it's pace. Whatever it is, VAS has it! This CD has a beautiful sound that welcomes you in and holds your attention. There have been comparisons to Dead Can Dance and Loreena McKennitt. I do have to agree a little to these great comparisons, and this is why. It's no secret that part of the mystique and pull of "Dead Can Dance" is the hypnotic, eastern drumming influence and the hammered dulcimer. It's good, I really have an affection for it. Vas' Greg Ellis is a natural percussionist of this flavor, you can tell it beats in time with his heart. As far as the Vocals of Azam Ali, The sound does resemble Loreena McKennitt on the surface, but does that matter when both are so lovely, warm, and full of soul and spirit? I think not. Beautiful is beautiful, regardless. This is well-produced, great sounding CD that has a timeless beauty, and that is what really matters. To me, anyway. Enjoy!

I was first introduced to Vas in a dance class. My teacher played Vas music for warmups, which were a dance meditation of sorts. I kept fogetting to ask who the artist was, but came accross Vas on a compilation CD at Barnes and Nobel while listening to World CDs. I went and bought this CD that very day. Since then I have listened to it while giving massage, practicing slow dance moves, reading, even while sleeping. In the Garden of Souls is meditative in sound, while still being very powerful and moving. I'm am saving up for their other CDs. I can't wait to have more music from Vas!

This is a group just keeps getting better! What I love about Vas's compositions is that while there are elements of structure and repetition reminiscent of traditional eastern music, the voices (human and instrumental) are always changing--unfolding and evolving like fine improvisations while still managing to both complement the other parts and maintain the original theme of the piece. Everything fits but nothing stands still, and by the end of a song you feel you have truly gone on a journey and arrived at a new destination. Also fascinating is Azam Ali's use of made-up syllables to create a language of sound and tone rather than words--unique and powerful! All of Azam Ali and Greg Ellis's work, individually and together, should be of interest to belly dancers, but this album especially so - there's just that kind of intensity and subtlety about it that could inspire truly artful choreography. The guest artist on this release is cellist Cameron Stone, offering a nice, deep grounding in contrast to Ali's soaring, quavering voice, and providing movement and direction through harmonic structure. Though there are only three musicians credited on this CD, they sound like a whole orchestra. Their imagination and talent are so great that they simply can't be contained in one recording-track each. The opening song, bearing the same title as the album, is simply stunning--hypnotic, pulsating, and pregnant with contained power, as is the closing selection, "Sevdama". "Ceremony of Passage" is a rousing percussion solo performed in the style of Japanese taiko drumming, while "The Inward Coil" and the brief "Beyond Despair" border on the symphonic. If you can only afford to buy one Vas album, I'd say this is the one to get, but their others are real gems too -- "Sunyata", "Offerings", "Portals of Grace" (featuring Azam Ali) and "Kala Rupa" (featuring Greg Ellis). Collect them all!