“What do you get when you cross The Neverending Story with a five piece alternative rock band from a Vancouver, Canada?” One hell of a band called, “Versus The Nothing”. It is obvious why this band draws inspiration from this famous movie about an evil force called the Nothing that is hell bent on controlling everything in existence. It is in Versus Nothing’s music that takes the listener on an epic journey in the pursuit of finding stability in a world plagued with obstacles that one must overcome.
Currently without an official record label, Versus The Nothing is starting to create a name for themselves by touring in the support of their most recent album, “Let It All Come Down”. Their current single, “Let It All Come Down”, has also been getting major plays on many major Canadian radio stations. They are the winners of Vancouver’s CFOX Seeds 2008 and have been fortunate to play such events as the Whistler Telus Festival and the North American Diesel Performance 2007 and 2008 after party. VTN have also toured various cities in BC and Alberta for the past 3 years and are heading our their fourth Western Canadian Tour which started on September 18th.
VTN draw much of their inspiration and sound from bands such as Story of the Year, Three Days Grace, and Breaking Benjamin. Their current song, “Let It All Come Down”, is a haunting but dynamic song that demands the listener’s attention. The intro seems to embody an almost Incubus-like sound with the distorted tones of A Perfect Circle. Another impressive track, “Bleed the Ocean”, is one of the more catchier songs on the album. It opens with a catchy intro and with lyrics like, “Cut me open, Bleed the ocean, make me feel my emotion”, is sure to get stuck in your head and keep you awake at night. ”Mask of Pretension” is also a very energetic song that will appeal to any mosh friendly crowd. Most impressive is the song, “Just Wait”. This song truly captures the emotion and the integrity that this band encompasses. VTN seems to showcase their most complex and techincal writing abilities with odd time signatures, tempo changes, and crafty guitar work that could easily give Evans Blue a run for their money. Furthermore, Ross’s vocal abilities are what give this song it’s true character and individuality. At best, this song shows melodic singing with moments of intense, emotional rage. As a whole, this album is a pretty solid album. What makes this album unique is the band’s ability to capture the raw power of their talents and channel that energy into a well crafted songs.
Overall, this five piece alternative rock band from Vancouver is starting to make a name for themselves. In an industry with many bands competing for the prize, it is easy for a band to blend in with the rest, but Versus The Nothing truly have something to prove. Rather than focusing on image, the band concentrates on writing solid songs with high doses of energy. If you’re a fan of melodic vocals with a side of heavy screams, sing along choruses, and heavy guitars, then Versus The Nothing is a band worth checking out.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kyle I'm a self taught musician of nearly 20 years and I'm proud to say that music encompasses my life. I'm just a simple guy that loves music and who is constantly searching for new music to feed his musical vices!
“Cut me open, Bleed the ocean, make me feel my emotion”
I was there when the ex-guitarist/writer of that song tattoo’ed those lyrics on his arm!
Beautiful song!