Vancouver

The Moment (2004)

Jim

The whole sludgy metal thing really seems to be picking up steam these days, and with good reason - most of the bands attempting the style are doing it fairly well. Switzerland's Vancouver are just one of the latest bands to embrace this style. Vancouver emerged from the remains of a couple of pretty good if somewhat unremarkable bands like Iscariote, and aimed for a crushing sound.

The end result is The Moment, which is a solid debut for the band, but seems to lack the power of Vancouver's influences. The press release likens the band's sound to Keelhaul and Knut. I'd say the latter is a more accurate description of Vancouver's sound, as The Moment isn't as inventive as Keelhaul's material. The bands that do this style really well have the ability to completely immerse the listener, but Vancouver isn't quite there yet. Vancouver comes out swinging on the first couple tracks, and that is where the Knut comparison is probably the most accurate, but as the disc goes on, they opt for a slower, more building approach. The band doesn't do this style poorly, but they tread a fine line between using ambience to supplement the heavier parts of the album and losing the listener's interest. They seem to have a little difficulty blending the styles together, and this results in a somewhat uneasy progression.

The Moment isn't a poor release, but it shows a band that needs to work out some issues before really establishing themselves. There are no noticeably bad songs on here, but at the same time nothing is outstanding either. If Vancouver can find a way to blend their more ambient pieces in with their heavier leanings, I think they could make an impact, but first they have to find a way to make it all come together without sounding forced.