Vain

30/05/2002

VAIN: "Tired Of Being A Slave" vain

Distribution effective from May 2002 through Swiss Music Pool

(22:40) Recorded and mixed at Klangatelier by Sven Ischer and Vain Mastering by Toby Lüscher

review by dalia "gryphon_spirit" di giacomo

Yesterday evening , at Chäslager in Stans (Switzerland), Vain have celebrated with a nice party the official release of their first record: this mini CD "Tired Of Being A Slave" . So, who are Vain? Here we go: Vain is a three member young Swiss band (this band was founded in the year 2000!) of the German area that, though at its first experiences, is already showing the right talent . Musical genre? Well, already from first notes one can understand that this band is playing an authentic alternative, almost depressive, rock, with many grunge influences and only few nu-metal elements which on the whole "don't disturb" at all the general soundscape. Their rock schemes develop above all in a melodic, gloomy area, intensified in some tracks by an effective austere and unadorned cello support, given by Sylvie who has co-operated for the record of this CD . Our guys (guitar + bass + drums) already show much self-confidence with their instruments and it's surely remarkable the passion with which they mix sadness, melody and hardness, influences coming from grunge but also, I would say, from a certain typical good british pop and new own proposals. Their music is really melanchonic but at the same time lively enough to impact in a catchy way, with good inspiration and chords which can only grow during the future evolution of the band. They don't show heavy and angry guitar attacks, though guitars are very well underlined, cause, when they want, they can give an acceleration to their sound showing a perfectly hard face, like they do in track "Alkaline" for example , which also begins with a very valuable and interesting hard loop and could be envied also by End Of Green.

"Freedom" is catchy, typically rock with some british pop touch, while "Bastard" is surely slower and more intence, with good guitar riffs, a melancholic atmosphere and a severe cello.
"Twenty four Hours" has an almost "acoustical-like" proceeding, with an agreeable cello support, sad , can let remind us some ancient ballads, but also modern disappointment coming from problematic human relationships. Here too the cello is providing a timeless sensation of resignation .
Cello and bass open "Tuesday" till lead guitar bursts and the tempo becomes faster again; this is the more versatile among the 5 songs, showing melodic catchy chords and some Nirvana flavours, sung in a anguished way by the almost ethereal Roger. Instruments "converse" one another till the song fades away with a good drums outro.

Very interesting are Roger's lyrics too, cause they show engagment in the social field but are extremely lapidary . There is no need to make long speeches when the world around you is full of unsolved problems and only very few people care about. Or not?. Just to give an idea: from "Alkaline"

"The things we never see
The chances we won't take

We are all in a way confused (and abused)
We are all like alkaline... we are chased

It needs centuries to build a world
It takes less to destroy it"

and from "Freedom"

"Ironic we'll look down
what a pretty world

Everyone is caught
In a money rolled world

Oh, oh Freedom is the way I gonna live"

or from "24 Hours"

"24, 24 hours did I lie
24, 24 hours to abuse my feelings
24, 24 hours for all or nothing
24, 24 hours to decide

24 fuckin' hours to see what's coming
24 fuckin' tears do you think that's ok ?

24, 24 hours to change her resort
24, 24 hours to rape my heart
24, 24 hours I laid in her bed
24, 24 hours she kissed my best friend"

or "Tuesday"

"Oh it's not fair, the kids are still sad
They, they lost their parents

Oh they felt so lost, war is in vain
Oh they didn't need to die"

and finally from "Bastard"

"I've the right to be wrong like all the politicians" well indeed this is a question . Who has never been just for a moment absorbed by such a thought?

It's more than obvious that Vain still need to grow and that every track of this CD could be improved if the band could have at disposal the "mega-big -ultra- super - hyper" production means which sorround the famous acts, but what should interest is the potentiality and quality of the band and its music in itself, so methinks that Vain are very talented, and I personally find that Vain express their alternative rock in a very coherent way . Therefore...if well begun is half done... welcome Vain!

dalia di giacomo