Watch animated new video "Gutter Moon"here
You can also see "Starburn"here
Vola announce Katatonia support tour
Fallen Hearts Over Europe tour ' Tickets availableHERE
25/09/16' SW, Malmö, KB
27/09/16' DE, Leipzig, Taubchenthal
28/09/16' DE, Frankfurt, Batschkapp
29/09/16- DE, Stuttgart, LKA Longhorn
02/10/16' DE, Berlin, Huxleys
04/10/16' PL, Gdansk, B90
05/10/16' PL, Warsaw, Progresja
06/10/16' PL, Krakow, Kwadrat
07/10/16' AT, Vienna, Arena
08/10/16' CH, Zurich, Dynamo
09/10/16' CH, Pratteln, Konzertfabrik 27
10/10/16' IT, Milan, Alcatraz
12/10/16' ES, Barcelona, Razzmatazz 2
13/10/16' ES, Seville, Custom
14/10/16' PT, Lisbon, AO Vivo
15/10/16' ES, Madrid, But
17/10/16' FR, Marseille, Jas' Rod
18/10/16' FR, Paris, Trabendo
19/10/16' FR, Strasbourg, Laiterie
21/10/16' UK, London, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire(The Great Cold Distance show)
23/10/16' BE, Antwerp, Trix
24/10/16' LU, Luxembourg, Rockhal
25.10.16' DE, Hamburg, Markthalle
26/10/16' DK, Copenhagen, Pumpehuset
27/10/16' NO, Oslo, John Dee
28/10/16' SW, Gothenburg, Pustervik
29/10/16' SW, Stockholm, Debaser Medis
01/11/16' FI, Tampere, Klubi Tampere
02/11/16' FI, Jyväskylä, Lutakko
03/11/16' FI, Joensuu, Kerubi
04/11/16' FI, Turku, Logomo
05/11/16' FI, Helsinki, The Circus
A musical journey into the mind in pursuit of happiness, set to a mix of 70's progressive rock, modern day electronica and industrial, topped off with clear, beautiful vocal lines: that's what young Copenhagen quartet VOLA is offering on their debut albumInmazes,out on Mascot Records on 2LP, CD and Digitally,September 16.
Volawill be joiningKatatoniaon their upcoming September ' November European Tour.Talking about the tour they said; "We are exceptionally excited about joining Katatonia and Agent Fresco on tour around Europe. These are two of our favourite bands, and it will be an absolute honor to share the stage with them. This is also a great opportunity to present Inmazes live and share something that we are very proud of, with all of you. Can't wait to meet you out there!"
Mascot Recordsproudly presentsInmazes,an album that will appeal to all those who love music that is adventurous and compelling. After three years of writing, recording and perfecting their craft on their two previous EPs Guitar player and singerAsger Mygindsees a steady development from 2011'sMonsterstowardsInmazes: "On Monsters we started experimenting with 7-string guitars and a lot of polymetrics - odd-time signatures over a straight 4/4 beat in our case. And it worked so well on the EP that we wanted to elaborate on this for a full album. But I think we have gotten better at producing our music as a band, which has given way to a tighter and more in-your-face vibe onInmazes.We are also one person less than onMonsters(guitarist and singer Niels Dreijer Madsen quit the band in 2012), so in my case I've had to fill out more space as guitarist and singer, as Niels also played guitar and sang a lot of vocal harmonies."
When Mygind was in high school he started writing songs and jamming with his friends in a rehearsal room in the basement of his parents' house in Copenhagen. "The collaboration grew out of a common interest in melodic rock and weird time signatures. We'd listen to stuff likeDream Theater, Freak Kitchen, Opeth and Porcupine Treeand tried to play their songs in order to explore what kind of sound we could create as a unit. And also because it was just a lot of fun!"VOLA is completed with keyboard player Martin Werner, bassist Nicolai Mogensen and drummer Felix Ewert.
At times futuristic, the music of VOLA has references to tech-prog and pop as well. Further touching on the band's influences, Mygind states: "I've always been a big fan of bands like Opeth and Porcupine Tree, and they write very dynamic songs, so I think the influence to explore dynamics and moods came from that place initially." Then again, he admits, he is influenced just as much by just the opposite: groove-based, monotonous music. "Some big influences of heavier music areDevin Townsend, Soilwork and Meshuggah.But it doesn't have to be metal at all as long as it has a spectacular beat, groovy odd-time groupings, an interesting mood or something else along those lines.Massive Attack's100th Windowis a big influence. It's monotonous but it still feels like it's constantly evolving.Steven Wilson'sInsurgentesandUlver'sShadows Of The Sunboth have a darkness that we find very fascinating."
"What we've always liked from artists like Steven Wilson and Devin Townsend is that themusic can change the physical state you're in. It's not just sound reaching your ears. It's a force of a larger scale. There is nothing like a big chorus that suddenly opens up and elevates your body to the point where it almost feels like you levitate from the floor. That's one of the feelings we want to evoke with our music."
Lyrically,Inmazesdeals with entrapment. Mygind: "The album tries to capture this feeling of being trapped in mental mazes and not being able to fully experience happiness, basically. How is this struggle visualized in your own mind and how do your surroundings react to the behaviour caused by it. Where the EPMonstersdeals with strategies on how to escape the negative thought patterns,Inmazesis more about the distance these thoughts can create between people."
Inmazeswas mixed by Asger Mygind himself and mastered byJens Bogren of Fascination Street Studio. Bogren worked withOpeth, Katatonia, Soilwork, Amon Amarth, Symphony X, Paradise Lost, Devin Townsend, Fates WarningandArch Enemy, amongst others. Mygind: "I've been a fan of Jens Bogren ever since I heardThe Great Cold Distanceby Katatonia, which I think is an amazing record with a fantastic production and mix. I like the way he keeps the elements very punchy but still maintains a sort of softness to the overall sonics. He mastered our EPMonstersand we were so fond of the result that we really also wanted him to doInmazestoo. Jens has a signature sound which works great if you want a fat and dynamic mix or master, that is pleasing to the ear."
Before the end of 2015, the band played high-profile gigs like Euroblast in Germany and ProgPower Europe in the Netherlands. Says Mygind: "We felt very proud. We haven't played that many shows in total, so to step upon a big stage in a foreign country and experience the incredibly positive energy coming from the crowd, was amazing. We didn't know what to expect, so it blew us all away."
