“I surrender to the suffering.”
After making a mark with their highly acclaimed debut album Culling Culture, UK alt-metal upstarts VEXED are looking to keep the momentum going with the upcoming release of their sophomore record Negative Energy. In vocalist Megan Targett’s interview, she described her mindset at the peak of writer’s block during the writing process for Negative Energy as “I’ve got nothing more that we can lose, and I just don’t really care anymore. So I’m just gonna say it how it is.” The direct and confrontational lyricism and VEXED’s increased aggression across Negative Energy certainly work hard to support this ethos, with the group’s evolved sound being one of the most notable changes between their debut and sophomore records.
A hidden vocal feature on album opener “PTSD” sees the album’s producer Meyrick De La Fuente (vocalist of Exist Immortal) listing off symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder atop an ominous, droning instrumental. The eerie buildup culminating in vocalist Megan Targett’s distorted “recovery is a long and difficult process”, coupled with the ensuing drop into a chugging instrumental section, creates an unsettling and heightened sense of tension before it properly throws you head-first into the record. The placement of Negative Energy’s two singles “Anti-Fetish” and “X my <3 (Hope to die)” early on in the tracklist allows them to help further set the stage for the remaining tracks on the album, with “Anti-Fetish” immediately picking up where “PTSD” leaves off.
Whereas “Anti-Fetish” serves as a scathing response towards the unwarranted comparisons and criticisms drawn by female-fronted bands in the metal world, “X my <3” addresses not knowing what comes after death and fights back against religious extremists who would impose their beliefs on others. The rest of Negative Energy sees VEXED continue to take strong stances on a variety of issues. From political extremism on “Extremist”, to mental health struggles on “Panic Attack” and “Default”, to navigating grief and loss on “Trauma Euphoria” and “It’s not the end”—the various subjects covered across the record are simultaneously confronted with bravado, with grace, and with a tenacity exemplified by phenomenal performances from the group as a whole.
On paper, the lyricism across Negative Energy might come off as a bit too direct, with the potential of becoming long-winded. However, the sheer ferocity displayed by Megan Targett in making her message heard demands attention—if you weren’t listening before, you certainly will be now. While Targett certainly doesn’t mince words, her lyricism proves all the more powerful for it. Targett displays an indisputable prowess as a vocalist as she seamlessly shifts her screams across registers, interspersing her flow with spoken word/rap sections and interweaving it with guitarist Jay Bacon’s dynamic riffing.
The interplay between Targett’s vocals and Bacon’s guitar work is one of the biggest highlights across the record. The way the two expertly work bot hwith and against each other gives each track their own catchy, memorable moments, and helps to distinguish each track from the other on a record that is almost unrelentingly heavy. Bacon’s bending and bouncing guitar work establishes a near-constant groove that is sure to keep your head bobbing and your face melting as you make your way through Negative Energy. His guitar tone strikes the perfect balance between crunchy and groovy during the record’s more energetic moments, and soaring and sparklingly beautiful in the album’s more melodic ones.
Negative Energy’s pristine production with De La Fuente at the helm fully allows each member of VEXED their own space to shine, too. Keeping up with Targett and Bacon is surely no easy task but drummer Willem Mason-Geraghty does it masterfully, never missing a beat, with every kick and pop of the snare perfectly placed, and with some fun cymbal work throughout that is highlighted by the crisp production. The clean production work additionally highlights the notable clarity in Targett’s flow, allowing her to fully showcase her sharp and biting delivery, executed with killer precision. With its intense riffing and absolutely monstrous vocal performances, there is no shortage of heavy moments on Negative Energy. Standout track “Lay down your flowers” is sure to catch the ears of many with its feature from Alpha Wolf frontman Lochie Keogh. The Australian firebrand joins Targett as the duo explore the depths of their ranges with some truly devastating lows from both parties.
Where Targett’s clean vocals were far more readily available across the span of Culling Culture, they are used far more sparingly on Negative Energy. However, utilizing singing in a more reserved fashion on Negative Energy proves fruitful and works to help give the record some needed breathing room in its closing stretch. The abundance of heaviness dominating the front half of Negative Energy makes the more melodic moments in the back half of the album feel more impactful. While “Default” starts off just as heavy as the tracks preceding it, it also sees the return of Targett’s clean vocals in a surprising, disembodied pre-chorus line lamenting the passing of time while struggling with depression—”nothing has changed, I’ve just aged. I watch as my life goes to waste”—before returning to the pre-established heaviness. The effect is trippy and disorienting, and is just one example of Targett’s singing vocals being used to great effect.
Following tracks ”Trauma Euphoria” and “It’s not the end” sees Targett grappling with the aforementioned themes of grief and loss. In between heavy verses on “Trauma Euphoria”, Targett sings a soaring and anguished earworm of a chorus which ended up being my favorite across album. One of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard all year, “It’s not the end” pays tribute to Targett’s late grandfather and was written as she provided end-of-life home care for him. Her moving and anguished vocal performance is sobering, furthering the emotional depths explored on the record.
Instrumental interlude and penultimate track “DMT”, samples voice notes from Megan’s grandfather, and acts as a continued moment of respite following on from “It’s not the end”. Not to get too caught up in the slower side of things, however, all the intensity from the rest of the album comes roaring back with final track “Nepotism”. A brief breakbeat sample leads the way into the blistering finale that sees VEXED tackling preferential treatment in the music industry and the lack of transparency surrounding it. A hot button issue that saw plenty of coverage in pop culture discourse this year, the subject of nepotism in the entertainment industry certainly isn’t new, but VEXED’s venting of their frustrations on the matter are particularly vicious and help bring Negative Energy to a close in explosive fashion.
As a whole, Negative Energy proves to be powerfully cathartic, with VEXED fearlessly confronting a variety of difficult subject matters in a tightly-woven and highly-polished package. While at times the record might border on being a little too in-your-face and heavy, masterful performances across the board from each band member creates an enthralling listening experience that is sure to turn heads and get people talking. With Negative Energy, VEXED have plenty to get off their chest—and they’re going to make sure you hear it.
9/10
Negative Energy is set to release this Friday June 23rd via Napalm Records, with links to pre-order and pre-save the record available here.