5 out of 5

Produced by: Dave Sardy

Label: Roadrunner

Y’see, there was this point in the late 90s where Dave Sardy was getting tapped for a lot of metal-ish albums.  And for each and every one, I would proclaim that his ear and skills helped to sharpen whichever band’s sound into the weapon I’m sure they’d hope it could be.  In some cases, bands with fairly simple sounds (Dragpipe) got a big boost from the production, and in some cases, groups with good sensibilities had their strongest suits amplified (Far, Helmet).  And then you’d get the special cases, the ones where the group already had plenty of power.  When Sardy steps into the booth on those discs – such as on Imprint – it’s music magic.  VoD were already a thrash metal dream thanks to their debut release; their followup takes that and blows it up into the stratosphere, keeping just enough rope on the project to keep it in orbit, making the big moments feel big without sacrificing any other moment on the disc.  And then there are the little minor touches – the small fills and keys – that space out the drumming and guitaring and Tim Williams-ing insanity.  Every hook – and there are goddamned plenty – lands thanks to this, as well as Dave’s ability to somehow balance rawness with precision, a skill he certainly honed with his own Barkmarket.

But to be clear, VoD own this album: all the strengths were already inherent.  The instrumental interplay (and speed) swerves back and forth through a punk intensity that prevents the band from sounding like typical hardcore or giving into the occasional indulgences of metal; Williams says “fuck” sometimes but his lyrics carry a weight not often offered by screamy guys.  Sardy just came in and made sure we could hear and appreciate all of this.

I could be wrong, but to me, the album cover is of an ear, smeared over with red and blurry text.  It’s a fitting image.  This isn’t a power-violence extravaganza or some kind of technical mastery display, it’s just a goddamned good album – loud enough to make your ears bleed, sure, but with a subtext of intelligence and an audible awesomeness that makes you want to listen.