VantaBlack - No Silence/No Sorrow

Nu metal has seen a real resurgence in the last few years after seemingly being out for the count a decade ago. Is it really twenty or so years since the likes of Iowa, The Sickness, Infest, Chocolate Starfish, Issues, Significant Other, Toxicity and Slipknot came out and were on everyone's playlists mixtapes? In its newer, updated form, modern nu metal bands (new nu metal?) are keeping it current by adding in metalcore or djent influences that didn't really exist back in the 90s, putting one foot of this new wave of bands firmly in the present, but with the nostalgic feel that will appeal to a wider and older audience. I do think that this style and sound could be one of the big things about mainstream metal in the 2020s.

VantaBlack are one of these new bands. So new, in fact, that there's barely anything on social media from them from before lockdown began. The Nottingham four-piece say that they 'take influences from the likes of Korn, Static-X, Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach etc... and blend it with a modern day sound to refresh the old school sound that made us love metal in the first place'. You can hear this from the offset of their debut single 'No Silence/No Sorrow', which was released only yesterday. The song bounces in with a riff that could have come straight out of Head or Munky's arsenal, but benefitting from cutting-edge production. Vocalist Ash Currie raps over the top of this shortly before a catchy, uplifting chorus comes in. With a call-and-response structure, it's been cleverly designed to get the masses singing along. The chorus, taking more of a late 00s/early 10s melodic metal form, stays in your head like glue.

Ash Currie shows off the full range of his voice, through rapping in the verses, powerful clean singing in the choruses, and heavy gutturals - particularly in the breakdown at the end, which amid a subtle key change, is the type to get fans punching the nearest thing next to them. It wouldn't be nu metal without a 'get the fuck up' in there, and VantaBlack don't disappoint. I can only imagine how the moshpits will explode to this song when it's played onstage, at least when we're not social distancing anymore.

VantaBlack explain that 'we've all experienced struggles, we've all experienced how life can sometimes be dark, we write about the experiences we've had in our lives' in a song that 'speaks up about the struggles of male mental health, having the courage to speak up about your personal demons and anxieties, pushing past the doubtfulness and the hardships of life'. The lyrics are indeed powerful, with an uplifting, hope-inspiring feel to them that have been written to encourage people to fraternise and stick together. In a world fraught with a range of uncertainties and crises, we could all use a bit of the spirit of VantaBlack in our lives. 'No Silence/No Sorrow' is all 'about looking past the darkness', 'pushing your way out to become a better person' and 'reminding each other that we're not alone in that fight'. It can be rare to see such a positive vibe in metal, and this makes for welcome variety.

This song will appeal to Korn, Linkin Park or Limp Bizkit fans who can also get on board with the Parkway Drive/Bullet for my Valentine style of heaviness. The mind boggles that this is only VantaBlack's first single - although you can imagine how they'll improve over time, becoming bigger and even better if they keep it up. 'No Silence/No Sorrow' is a vital first step. Modern yet nostalgic, bouncy and straight to the point.

MN