Customer Reviews

Start With a Strong & Persistant Desire

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Exemplifying the proverbial rags-to-riches fairy tale, Vex Red is a five-piece band out of Hampshire, England who was signed to Ross Robinson's Virgin Records imprint label I Am, based on the strength of a demo tape that was submitted, along with thousands of others, through a Kerrang! magazine advertisement. Based out of Aldershot, Vex Red was completed as a group in 1999 with the addition of frontman/guitarist Terry Abbott who joined the band that was rounded out by guitarist/keyboardist Ant Forbes, bassist/programmer Keith Lambert, guitarist/bassist Nick Goulding, and drummer Ben Calvert. After the addition of Terry, the group recorded the Sleep Does Nothing For You demo with little results, which prompted the band to record the 3-song demo Can't Smile at SWI Studios (Cornwall) that attracted the interests of Ross Robinson. Following the record deal, Vex Red hit the studio in March 2001 with producer Ross Robinson (Korn, Slipknot, Amen, At The Drive-In) to record their debut album Start With A Strong And Persistent Desire, which was released in the UK on March 18th, and is slated to hit shelves in the U.S. on July 2, 2002.

Rooted in artistic expressionism rather than commercial accessibility, Vex Red has crafted an intriguing brand of rock that features organic instrumentation ruthlessly clashing with digital chaos, resulting in a unique hybrid of post-grunge, classic rock, and electronica. Musically, the band is a bit hard to describe, showing strains of modern Silverchair during the more melodic moments and echoes of Pitchshifter during the more automated sequences, while a sense of At The Drive-In pandemonium and Tool ambition complete the picture. Comparisons do not however, do the band justice for Vex Red manages to avoid stereotypes by thinking outside the box with their novel ideas and masterful compositions. Bringing their innovative sounds to life is a confidence & maturity that belies their youth, not to mention skilled musicianship, which is led by caustic guitarplay, swirling melodies, and an extravagant array of electronic beats, effects and sampling that, arranged all together, is immense in its scope and vision. Providing the final component to this sonic maelstrom is the presence of frontman/guitarist Terry Abbott, whose dynamic Silverchair-like vocals shimmer with undeniable emotion and powerful resonance. Overall, Vex Red is far removed from your typical Americanized band, and, because of the lack of radio appeal that exists within their music, it may take more than your average listener to truly enjoy & appreciate this band.

Already having been released in the UK for a few months, Start With A Strong And Persistent Desire is finally set to leave its mark on the U.S. scene. Composed of eleven tracks and over 50 minutes worth of mind-stimulating music, Vex Red's debut album kicks off with the driving The Closest, a worthy introduction into the group's dynamic amalgamation of melody, machine, and passion. The powerful Dermo follows, featuring beautiful piano-driven, melodic verses & melancholic choruses vividly contrasted by distorted electronics and chaotic vocals, while Can't Smile, the second single, is arguably the most accessible song on the album, marked by its Silverchair-like melodies & haunting choruses. Showcasing the group's more tender, melodically driven side are such songs as the atmospheric Untitled, the emotional, acoustic-like Bully Me, and the epic, ending track Vert, a whispering ballad that slowly builds up until its caustic finale. Other notable tracks include the semi-upbeat, post-grunge inspired first single Itch and the cathartic Clone Jesus, while Cause And Solution is a stunning instrumental and Sleep Does Nothing For You shines with its versatility. As a whole, Start With A Strong And Persistent Desire is a solid debut, and, because of its uniqueness, ensures that Vex Red will be both remembered and acclaimed for creating their own path, rather than trying to fit into the current scene. However, Vex Red is a group that will not be easily understood or appreciated by the masses, and it remains to be seen how listeners will react to both the band, and their album...

From the opening seconds of "The Closest" to the turbulent and chaotic final seconds of "Vert" there is an underlying sense of greatness. Vex Red have not only constructed an amazing record, but a record perfect in every way. The mix of your usual "rock" instruments blends perfectly with the highly dynamic "electronic" elements which add depth and atmosphere to an already rich and textured sonic environment. The highly insightful lyrics of vocalist Terry Abbott paint a vivid picture in which the ever changing music swirls around. This album is sure to be a classic, and already is in my eyes. Vex Red have attained perfection with their full length debut. I recommend "Dermo" and "Start With a Strong & Persistent Desire"(the albums title track).

Vex Red is one of those bands that are very difficult to classify, they're not just rock, and they're not just metal either...
Vex Red is an incredibly blissful combination of both. They don't blow your ears out with sheer volume, yet they blow your mind with a very destinctive and strong sound. The lead singer has a loud volume yet soft tone voice and fits perfectly with the rest of the band.
This CD is their first real album. While there is only 11 songs on it, every one is just plain amazing. If you buy this album, you'll find that you'll just lie in your room for hours with the album on repeat. "Can't Smile" is definately their best song, but every other one is almost as incredible.
Vex Red is probably the best that all of Britian has to offer as far as rock and metal go. Even though it is an import, it's worth the few extra bucks, TRUST ME...

This is a tough one to review fairly. From one song to the next you'll probably be thinking "oh man this sucks @$$" or "hey this is dang good". The vocalist is pretty good and can best be compared to the lead singer of Silverchair at his softer points. The hard guitars (which are few and far apart) are also pretty good. The main thing that kills this cd is all the techno mixed in with the rock where it doesn't belong. It's not surprising "Itch" would be the single as it is the best song on the whole album. "Dermo" is also an excellent song. I would recommend this to only those with a fairly open mind about music, but I'm goin to say its just a little less than 4 stars, cause I've heard so much worse than these guys. It seems like the guys have alot of talent, especially being able to mix twisted hard guitars, soft vocals and even a piano all into one song (Untitled) and yet still have it be a bad@$$ rocker. Anyway, check it out..and if you hate it, then you can't say this review didn't warn you what kinda music it was.

Hellalujah !! Finally a band that's more than just the plastic wrapping it's sealed in.

Track 1: The Closest ,pretty much sums up the album in only 4min. 47sec. Dark and moody guitars bleed into distorted rage burnt with electronic beauty and fades out into a downward spiral of emotion and sadness. Then there's track 2. It's a very mature album for a new band but think it would take time before people warm up to them in an age where ROCK music is flooded with Creed ,Papa Roach sounding bands. The production is great. Ross Robinson manages to keep the "theme" well intact throughout the album. The sleeve is filled with obscure drawings as dark and interesting as Terry Abbott's lyrics. The guitars are "grungy" ,filled with troubled desire. The drumming is brilliant with emotion.

If you buy this album you won't be sorry. It will leave you "with a strong and persistent desire" for MORE.

I just recently discovered this band. I have read numerous reviews and comments on this cd, and everyone insists on comparing them with other bands. It just gets ridiculous, so far I have heard: Bush, Silverchair, Stabbing Westward, Radiohead, Placebo, Deadsy, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Nirvana, Finger Eleven, Tool, Janes Addiction, Rival Schools, The Strokes, Nine Inch Nails, Lost Prophets, and many others I can't even remember. The thing is all the above acts stand on their own, with their own totally different sounds/styles. Vex Red does as well. They have created their own sound, and done so perfectly. Every artist will have similarities/influences from other artists, and there is nothing wrong with that. Vex Red are obviously influenced by a wide range of acts, and their product is a unique and refreshing record. It is well produced, well written, and an all around amazing record to buy.

deep, true, full of emotion, inventive, and organic. My favorite album of 2002 so far. Its not going to cheer you up but stir up those frustrated emotions.

this cd's awesome... they're heavy and melodic @ same time... they have something of NIN... something industrial
the best tracks are:
cant smile, itch, clone jesus, the closest and the cd version for Sleep Does Nothing For You also is very cool.
If you're thinking to but this cd, stop now and buy it anyway.

I can't say enough about how great this band is! I'm telling you now they are going to be huge! From the simple and beautiful "Dermo" to the hard and fast "Can't Smile", every song is superb! The first song I heard by them was "Sleep Does Nothing For You", and from the first time I heard it, I knew I was going to love this band. I was one of the lucky ones to see them on their first tour of the US and they were beyond unbelievable! Terry Abbot, the lead singer, has the most intoxicating voice. These guys are GREAT live! Very talented! Buy this album! People compare them to Tool and Silverchair, but I would say the sound more like Stabbing Westward or Sunna. Well that's my opinion anyway. They have a sound all their own and you won't regret getting this album is all I can say!

vex reds debut album "start with a strong and persitant desire" is a unheard of piece of genius, the reason? depth, most bands around at the moment lack that extra somthing, finally vex red have it all. Crashing almost sonic sounding guitars, thumping drumms, howling (yet amazingly tuneful)vocals, great songs and of course a brilliant producer in ross robinsion (at the drive in,slipknot. the best songs here are "itch", "can't smile", "the closest", "sleep does nothing for you". the whole album is very well done and if you like grunge or hard rock at all i highly reccomend this album