Music has long been defined by circumstance and coincidence. From chance meetings, introductions and recommendations, bands live and die by the fickle hand of fate. Vex Red are no different. While scraping a meagre living with mind numbing part-time jobs and after distributing hundreds of demos, the Aldershot quintet were on the verge of quitting until the phone rang. On the other end just happened to be Ross Robinson. Bingo.
For those of you who don't know him, Ross Robinson is the man. Producer of Deftones, Slipknot, Limp Bikzit and Korn, Robinson pretty much defined nu metal before turning his back on the bands he helped shape in search of something new and 'real'. Enter Vex Red.
With Robinson at the helm it's not surprising that Vex Red are an appealing proposition. For a start the customary beer spilling, anthemic stereotype of UK rock is absent. They may have recorded the album in the 'sunshine state' but Vex Red's music is very much an after hours affair, lurking in the shadows and founded upon the lurching vocal moods of singer Terry Abbott.
There's an electronic edge that suggests Vex Red harbour a burning desire to be a British version of Nine Inch Nails. Not a bad band to model oneself one, of course. 'Can't Smile' (with its spooky spoken word sample), the schizophrenic 'Dermo', 'Untitled' and the single 'Itch' all rely heavily on the brooding electronic rock patented by Mr T. Reznor circa 'Pretty Hate Machine'.
But being such a young band, the Reds stray into the inevitable pitfalls. As the album progresses they wallow in self-pity a little too much, gorging on effects and losing themselves, and the listener, along the way in sub-Filter/Marilyn Manson meandering goth rock.
Vex Red have made a debut built on a strong and persistent desire but one that needs focusing. Certainly a promising platform from which to forge a real identity. It's either that or head on a downward spiral.
