VIAL - VIAL

VIAL is the side project of RIOTLEGION founder Michael Coultas. However, rather than staying within the harsh realm of all things industrial, he's moved to a more experimental side, exercising his prowess in the witch house and trap fields. In a statement that he made about this new side project, Coultas had this to say:

"Whereas RIOTLEGION is cold, hard, and meticulous, VIAL is me having fun, and exploring how far I'm willing to push the boundaries of 'what's acceptable' even by my own standards."

Releasing digitally via Blind Mice Productions with physical copies soon to be available via his in-house label Higher Circuit Productions, this five track EP will unleash in the middle of October. Five tracks of dragging songs push through to slash out twenty minutes of eerie beats.

Beginning off with In Days of Warm Wind, we get settled right into the field of witch house. The longer, dragged out synths with a slight feel of some sort of sacred ground presents itself right at our threshold. The samples fit right in, adding to the already creepy element. The trap elements are easily seen, the clashes and electronic drum work playing off very nicely.

Sacred Center plays with a bit of an ambient ring, the only main, introductory sound being that of an electronic line that reels us into the rest of the track. I really appreciated the ritualistic like chants around the two and a half minute mark that added a dark feeling to an already morbid sounding song.

In Spells came in with more of an electronically experimental sound. Wobbles came into play, but not the wobbles you expect to hear out of anything dubstep related. Though there are elements of witch house on this track, I'd say that trap and exploratory electronics really took precedence.

Refresh had an uplifting sound to it, with odd sounding electronics and a brighter outlook in general. You could say that the title actually fit the song perfectly; after listening through three ominous tracks, it was enlightening to hear something different. And it turned out to be quite lovely.

The final song, We Will Make It Through This, actually had that sort of 80s sci-fi feel to it. As if you're either entering a futuristic city after a long, self induced coma, or as if you're just in a neon filled, and alien atmosphere. The work was gorgeous, and was different from where the other tracks led me to.

And, this EP is very experimental in its own nature. I was actually surprised by the final two tracks more than anything else. The witchy goodness presented within the first three was good, and each of those tracks managed to set me in a frightening mood. However, the last two really set forth soundtrack moments, and were tasty to my ears. I loved this EP, and I want more. Oct 10 2014