Girl at the Rock Shows

I had a couple of shows lined up for tonight but they were all outside and, honestly, it’s just too dang hot out for me to survive. Maybe it’s the PTSD from the So What?! Music Festival down in Texas last month or maybe it’s just the fact that I didn’t move to Minnesota for triple digit heat. Regardless, I think I’ll take tonight to get caught up on some work and album reviews. Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday night if you ask me! So let’s start this night-in off with ‘Buried Alive’- the new four-song EP from Vilamoura.

“Pull Me From The Grave” kicks off this quick EP with a sense of power and brutality in all of the right ways. I was instantly reminded of when I was completely lost in the local metal scene and brought up good feelings because of that. Sure, people can listen to this and just call it heavy but, to me, this opening track is so much more. There’s an interesting composition behind this track with surprising twists and turns and some of the best clean vocals contrasted by some of the most sinister vocals I’ve heard in a long time. Vilamoura clearly spent time producing this record as I found it to be overall flawless. Although there’s a million things going on in this opening track, I was able to hear everything from each drum hit to each guitar strum and every word. What a way to kick off an album!

The flawless heavy nature of Vilamoura continues into “Name Like An Infection” but I found myself a bit more into the lyrics during this track than I did in the first song. If you’ve been reading my posts for a bit, you know I’m not typically one to give away lyrical content because I think that makes you hear songs a certain way but I will say that I loved the way the delivery of each word fit the word so perfectly here. Right of the bat you get a very sharp-tongue phrase that is spit with a sense of brutality and disgust. Throughout this song, you get a more tender vocal that pops in and out singing lyrics that feel a bit more defeated. This juxtaposition and delivery is absolutely genius and something that I wish more bands did. This song is a bit lengthy at just under four minutes but hang on until at least the 2:30 mark for an amazingly epic breakdown that had me about ready to flip my desk due to the pure energy it brought with it.

Really, all of these tracks are a bit lengthy. Maybe it’s because it’s been awhile since I’ve really spent time with metal like this and have been opting for more punchy punk tunes that last mere seconds. Regardless, the length of these songs, although longer than my usual, seems perfect as each track brings multiple moods and modes to the table. The third track, “Vindictive”, is no exception to the rule. A new elements comes in at the beginning of this track that had me intrigued. I couldn’t tell what it was– maybe a keyboard– but it brought a very cool percussive vibe to the beginning of this song that reminded me of Born of Osiris. It’s subtle so you have to listen carefully but I promise that when you hear it, you won’t be able to miss it again. Again, the balance and restraint that Vilamoura shows throughout this song is just as deafening as the power behind the song and is truly something to be marveled at.

“We All Die” closes out this quick EP and, as you may have assumed, it’s another heavy track but focus more on a bit of an eerie side of the heaviness. The vocals and words just have something a bit more “horro-movie-esque” about them than the previous tracks but it fits the overall style of this band perfectly and it made me wonder why I hadn’t heard this element previously. Regardless, “We All Die” is yet another flawless display of Vilamoura’s sound and style and is the perfect way to cap off this EP.

If you like heavy, ‘Buried Alive’ from Vilamoura is for you. It is truly a well thought-out and well produced example of how unique and clean metalcore can sound. Since the release of this EP, the band has released another single, “Let Me Out”. I won’t ruin that one for you or anything but if you like the four songs on the EP, make sure to check out this new single!

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