Off the beaten path and mysterious, genre-twisting bands are what captivate me these days. Maybe it’s because I am tired of the same old, same old, and because of my age, experience, vast pedigree of reviews in just about any genre you can think of (over 4,000 and counting), and my constant need to discover and listen to new bands, I am smitten with the prospect of digesting VIOLET COLD’s new album, “Modular Consciousness.” First, it’s a one-man band hailing from the county of Azerbaijan, and for Americans, that is located at the border of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia's republic of Dagestan to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. Second, he is a prolific songwriter, delivering 12 full-lengths since formation in 2013.

This new album is an EP, made up of five songs. “Digital Mirage” is first. An electronic beat comes through first, reminding me of the great music I grew up with in the 1980’s. The music has a dark quality to it, and when the harsh vocals come in, it turns from bright neon’s, to muted purples. The clean vocals keep it from falling off the cliff and into the abyss, and the visual I get is a constantly churning, multi-colored sky. “Nightfall” mixes piano notes in with the electronics, and combined with the clean vocals, rides melody right down your throat on a speeding sports car. He works hard to create songs that are very dreamy and ethereal, as well as firm and commanding. “Noise Anthem” is more melodic bliss, where melodies weave into the very fabric of the song. Although the bottom end is as hard as concrete, the melody dances overtop of them.

“Punkcake” is a curious three-minute offering with an hard driving electronic drum beat and dreamy clean vocals. It sounds like something that might be made in a factory, yet it also has so much life to it. “Afterglow” closes the album, and the title refers to light or radiance remaining in the sky after the sun has set. What a fitting closer to the EP. Each weighted electronic strike brings more colors to the sky for you to enjoy. I feel like I am riding off into the unknown, but I don’t care what the future holds. This album was a breathtaking fusion where glorious melodies soar above the abyss of Black Metal’s unrelenting intensity, creating a soundscape that is celestial. In its ascent, it becomes a statement, and a testament to the power of melody, even in the face of oblivion.