Vex – Memorious
Utterly unique and bloated with atypical melodies/harmonies, the 2nd full-length from the Texas born Vex is an eye opener of an album which instantly grabbed me with it’s superior songwriting and a style so skillfully enveloped by the olden years of melodic death metal. I have missed out on their back catalog. I am a fool. Memorious first of all benefits from a super tight performance. You can tell these guys have been playing together for a long time. Secondly, the riffs are downright inspired and colorized by what sound like effortlessly flowing melodies, but the way they are draped over the chord progressions, it feels so alive yet complex, like an easy moving river cutting through a dense woodland. The guitars are pretty dry on this recording, sounding like they are tuned to standard, or damn close, giving the riffs a sharp bite and Vex a more lofty tone to rise above so many other bands in the death realm that are content to dig their own abysmal trenches with detuned axes and guttural indigestion. A clear drum kit production further gives Vex that tidy tone, but the snare sound is a bit too bright and odd sounding at times, but this one point is quickly forgotten about and washed over by the lush guitar work and layered strands of melody spun through the bulk of Memorious. Vocally, a mid-ranged and snarled growl is the perfect fit to this album. Even the moments where clean singing surfaces on tracks like “Those Days are Gone” and “Spectral Nation”, it completely works and further supplies Vex with a varied attack and even more of an inventive dynamic to unlock those expansive surprises to this already well considered music. Memorious was a complete surprise and a shining gem of an album that will appeal to those of you out there still clinging to the past because let’s face it, that’s where the true magic happened! -Marty
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions
Worm Gear 
Great review. Thanks for reminding me of this band. I’ve checked out their debut a while ago but didn’t pull the trigger although it did make an impression. Listening now on the HPGD website, it indeed sounds old fashionedly great. Less brutality, more atmosphere. Ambitious and progressive songwriting. I like this a lot… (My wallet doesn’t though. It hates you guys for bringing all this great shit to my attention hahaha)