SINGLE REVIEW: Voices In Vain - "Weight of the Hammer"
Voices in Vain responds to societal plagues and inequality in the sludgy, brutal single “Weight of the Hammer”
Written by JD Walker
The current state of things seems more hopeless than ever before - wealth and racial inequality, a looming climate crisis, and authoritarian governments around the world have people on edge and wondering what comes next. The discomfort felt by many is exactly what Voices In Vain aim to address in their new single, “Weight of the Hammer”. The sludgy, doom-driven offering articulates just how precarious of a situation the whole of humanity faces and drives the message home with earth-shattering breakdowns and pure heaviness.
The song begins with an ominous acoustic guitar intro before the band kicks into an overdriven, low and slow groove. The group is heavily inspired by the likes of Gojira, Mastodon, and Misery Signals, and “Weight of the Hammer” adds credence to these influences by drawing many of the same atmospheres that these progressive metal titans pioneered. The song quickly breaks into an eclectic smattering of blast beats, the occasional breakdown, and an unrelenting flurry of notes. Guitarists Ross Temple and Lucas Tabshey did a wonderful job orchestrating their parts to have notions of doom without getting too dreary. Bassist Patrick Boccio and drummer Scott Mullin were perfectly in sync the entire time, holding down the rhythmic assault of the single and never losing track of the time and tempo changes.
Vocalist Jeremy Urtz was a particular standout on this song, putting his vocal prowess on display in both range and lyricism. “Weight of the Hammer is a response to societal plagues ravaging the United States and the world beyond. In a time of staggering wealth and racial inequality, a global rise of fascism, and threats of the coming climate apocalypse, we are calling for unity of the working class. The days of sitting idly by, complacent in a system that works against the majority needs to end. Time is running out and if we care to leave a habitable and free world for future generations, then swift and direct action must be taken before it’s too late”. Utz’s words will resonate with people around the world, whether they be the older generation that experienced the true horrors of authoritarian dictatorships like fascism and communism or the new generation that aims to heed the warnings of their predecessors. Utz has a strong message that’s hard to ignore - whether the issue be political, socioeconomic, or environmental, we as humans need to work to make something better for those that will follow in our footsteps.
“Weight of the Hammer” is heavy in a lot of different ways - melodically, rhythmically, and especially lyrically. It’s a sobering reality that we’re faced with and the message from bands like Voices In Vain will hopefully help spark the change that we hope to see for our future.