Vieon - Fly By Light

Distressed, desolate, and distraught, a ragtag gang of outer space explorers have been enveloped in a nightmarish quandary as they make their way across a million stars stretching out their arms for propitious climax. What their journey is, what they are reaching out for I know not. All that remains clear in my head is that I am encouraging and cheering these galactic traveler's my best, and hope that they make it all the way to the end. All these images crawl through my head with my eyes shut as Vieon's latest EP "Fly By Light" plays on my headphones. 

It is not often that a band can resurrect the cinematic sounds of 70s electronic masters combined with the influential soundtracks of films such as 'Blade Runner' and 'Alien'. Nonetheless, Vieon has been making waves in the UK circuit ever since their release and promotion of 2014's hit album "The Sound of the Future". Within the following year, Vieon began to perform in locations such as Manchester and Plymouth showing that their music is not only addicting on the random person's smart phone or home theater system, but also live. 

2016 grasps Vieon's sonic wizardry and pops out a seven track concept album that will have you gushing over the vivid sights of neo-dystopian and utopian city skylines that cover thousands of miles of once hostile planet landscapes. Flashing lights from exploding stars, the beauty of discovering a brand new galaxy with colors and arrangements that have never been seen before, and the simple pleasure of floating through an endless vastness in nothing but a shuttle will transport you from your seat to a sci-fi fantasy realm the likes of which has not been talked of yet. 

'Days of Fear and Wonder' commences the fantastic voyage from Earth - or a planet that replicates its form of life - to the stars above immediately followed by the title track. 'Fly By Light' is the only track on the album that contains any vocal content, and the singing has been vastly improved since we've last heard from Vieon. Still digitally touched but not as sloppy and much more in tune with the rhythm of the song, this is nothing short of brilliant. 

Fantastic instrumental tracks that keep up the same sci-fi vibe from the intro take precedence for the rest of the album. From 'Proteus' - which I only imagined to be the name of the vessel our well worn galaxy trotters fly within - to 'Rise', Vieon will take you on an epic journey that will bend time and the history of space itself. 

Both 'Meteor' and 'Rise' are to do for, though they sit on different extremes. 'Meteor' is a song that will make you want to kick back and nap. A very atmospheric ambient electronic wave flourishes in the background as electronic kicks and pulses will put each and every listener in a hypnotic state. One the other hand, 'Rise' combines breathtaking electric guitar notes with built up layered synths. If this were a movie, this would play as the very last moments of the film unfolded on screen. The audience would be polarized on what was better - the resolution of the film, or the song that saw it out. 

Vieon is the type of band that can inspire any one person to pick up a pen and write down a creative story set in a futuristic or other worldly setting. Their imagination runs wild as they bring eighties cinematic scores to life with electronic masters of the seventies. This grinds down to include their signature sound and a wallop of a package is made. For fans of both film and music alike, Vieon provides a cinematic synthwave-ish score that will leave you wanting to dive into a whole new universe. 
Jan 08 2016