DISAFFECTED - VAST - 1995

As a work of art, Vast relies on a dislocating atmosphere of tension that invokes the struggle between the timeless will to be and become and the disillusionment inherent in the fragmented 'reality' of a modern existence rendered meaningless by its own plasticity. This tension is created and maintained by the integration and juxtaposition of seemingly disparate elements: pensive ambient moments of near silence are shattered by thundering bursts of staccato riffing and jarring harmonic intervals that wouldn't seem out of place on Unquestionable Presence give way to open, almost orchestral passages full of flowing melodies, fluid, classically tinged lead work and rich keyboard shadings before resolving into quietude or dissolving once more into atonality. The vocal attack is quite varied for death metal, running the gamut from a hoarse whisper to a more conventional growl, with more guttural moments occasionally intruding (and, even a touch of Cynic-style vocal processing). Structurally, Vast provides more of the same, as its broadly narrative passages are frequently subverted by elliptical self-referentiality.
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