Brothers Jason (singer/songwriter) and Booker (music producer) make up Vladantre. Based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, the band’s new album 2020, encapsulates the highlights that make 2020 a year that is so important.
2020 gets started with “Slices/Repeat” where sizzling synths zip through this track. The sounds erupt suddenly and with little compromise. Once Jason’s vocals set in, the electro/techno feels are unleashed. Intermittent background vocals are thrown in, adding momentum to the sounds. The band changes things up with the hard rock, metal-enthused “RAZOR.” The bass lines are driven. Hard-hitting guitars also meet the gamut of this track. The group recalls a Linkin’ Park and Korn vibe, as Jason rips through the song semi-rapping and singing with piercing riffs taking the music to whole new levels. Pulverizing rhythms on the bass pulsate on “Empty Streets.” The guitars produce a wall of sound as the airy riffs sound off overhead. The vocals are adamant, seething with anger and rage. This is the first song where we see the first appearance of the pandemic. The track moves from the carefree and playfulness seen in the lyrics previously and to more serious undertones. An announcement about the importance of hand washing adds weight to the graveness of the situation. On “Day 2,” the bass offers up a moody ambience toward the start. The drumming beat closes in on an even pacing. The vocals are touched with auto-tunes. The music consists of a very metal-driven vibe. Jason throws himself into the music, really capturing this moment in time. Guitars build up the ante on “Differing Views.” The instrumentals provide a stormy front to this song. The vocals come through the haze with full-on reverberating notes. The guitars sound gigantic. Meant to be played loud, as the music moves forward, you can feel the immediacy of the lyrics. Full-throttle guitars and bass enliven the atmosphere on “Pandemic Foreseen.” On “Divinity,” guitars and drums provide a moody feel. As the vocals comes in, this felt like the ballad out of the lot. The rock sounds recall a Creed or Collective Soul vibe. The vocals really honed into the aforementioned bands’ sounds. Warbling synths make up the start of “January.” Eventually, vibrant guitars are loosened over the effect. The vibes felt more uplifting here than the darker trajectory that saw the band moving toward in the previous songs. The positive vibes come from knowing that January marks the beginning to a new year and possibly a whole new beginning. This proved to be an inspirational way to close the album. The pandemic isn’t going anywhere soon but as we grow more attuned to ourselves and the world, we record this moment in our lives. This album does just that. Vladantre compiles a bunch of snapshots of events this past year and lays it all out there for us to see. For those of us straining to understand what’s going on out there, the band lays the foundation towards the healing process. Music serves as a universal language that tethers all of us. This album shows that through the power of music we can erase boundaries, cross borders and find connections when there was none before. It also offers us that reprieve from our thoughts and worries. As the world becomes all too real around us, music provides us that vehicle for us to escape with. 2020 will transport you while also reminding us that 2020 was a very vital year. Not just rehashed news, the album is a biting commentary for our times. With a giant sound, the band brings you an album as informative as it is entertaining. Be sure you have a listen today!
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