VEXED return with a vengeance, delivering the most intense, vicious alt-metal album of 2023!
UK’s most exciting new talent, alt-metal outfit VEXED, emerged as one of the hottest new bands to watch in heavy music. After their highly-lauded debut in 2021 the crushing Hertfordshire unit will unleash the album’s aggressive successor, entitled Negative Energy, on June 23rd via Napalm Records. Heavier and more violent, the new studio album depicts the confidence VEXED have gathered since their first release, and represents a soundtrack of brutality – chaotic, traumatic and based on the band’s most grueling personal experiences.
The Everblack Podcast spoke to Megan Targett from VEXED about their new album ‘Negative Energy’, it’s dark lyrical themes and heavier direction, teaming up with Lochie Keogh from Alpha Wolf on the track ‘Lay down your flowers’, upcoming slot at Tech-Fest, hopes to tour Australia and more!
Watch/listen to the interview here:
The band states “We are so proud to present to you our second album. Since our first release, we have each endured traumatic experiences, surrounded by death, betrayal, pain and grief. In order to find any strength, we first had to accept that we weren’t okay, then take our trauma and face it head on, sharing our vulnerability, fears and weaknesses. Instead of forcing ourselves to try and be positive we put all our negative energy into the album in order to begin our own repair and to overcome.”
Haunting intro track “PTSD” sets a stage of dread for the carnage to come. “We don’t talk about it” – featuring pitch-shifted verses emulating a disguised voice – explores childhood trauma and survivor’s guilt. “Panic attack” centers on mental health issues, representing terror and frustration through heavy riffs and grooving vocals. Furious “Lay down your flowers” (feat. Alpha Wolf vocalist Lochie Keogh) showcases extreme vocals and bombarding drums, while disturbingly groovy following track “There’s no place like home” draws inspiration from ‘The Wizard of Oz’. The unbelievably heavy “Extremist” gets straight to the point, kicking off with fast and demanding vocal rhythms, while “Default”, on the other hand, displays multifaceted lead singer-to-watch Megan Targett’s high-soaring clean vocals juxtaposed against her menacing deep growls. This is equally evident on standout, dynamic “Trauma Euphoria”, also featuring some of the most impressive guitar work on the album. The album’s most emotional offering, “It’s Not The End”, serves as a magnificent dedication to a loved one passing away while manifesting their legacy, before sliding into instrumental interlude “DMT” – cradled by lo-fi beats with hints of 808, delivered in fresh VEXED style. Intense album finale “Nepotism” wraps up Negative Energy with a knot of rage before slowly fading out into darkness. Negative Energy proves itself as a stunning, devastating musical conduit – ventilating the band’s pain-stricken burdens and breathing life into their fresh approach, delivered with a vengeance.
Pre-order the devastatingly heavy Negative Energy Out June 23rd via Napalm Records
https://lnk.to/VEXED-
