UMUR
"Witness" is the third full-length studio album by Danish rock/metal act Vola. The album was released through Mascot Records in May 2021. It´s the successor to "Applause Of A Distant Crowd" from October 2018. A few videos were released to promote the release of the album.
Stylistically this is unmistakably the sound of Vola. Melancholic and atmospheric rock/metal with the strong and paatos filled vocals of Asger Mygind in front. Influenced greatly by artists like Katatonia, Riverside, and fellow Danish art/progressive pop/rock act Mew (although the influence from the latter was stronger on the preceding album). Compared to the more mellow and electronic tinged "Applause Of A Distant Crowd", Vola have opted to include more heavy distorted guitars and heavy drumming again like they had on their debut album. Keyboards and electronic effects are still a big part of the band´s sound as well as atmosphere enhancing choirs and harmony vocals. The tracks are predominantly vers/chorus structured and for the most part easily accessible. The strong melodies and melancholic atmospheres are the greatest assets of Vola´s music.
The album features a gorgeous, polished, and powerful sound production, which perfectly suits the material. This is not the type of music which would benefit from a more gritty and raw sounding production job. So upon conclusion "Witness" is another high quality release from Vola. To my ears it´s maybe a bit too formulaic and a few more musical experiments wouldn´t have hurt (including a rap part on "These Black Claws" does not qualify as being experimental IMO). A 3.5 star (70%) rating is still deserved though.