Vola | |
|---|---|
 VOLA in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Mascot |
| Members |
|
| Past members |
|
| Website | volaband |
Vola (stylized as VOLA) are a Danish progressive metal band formed in Copenhagen in 2006. Having gone through a number of lineup changes earlier in their career, the band currently consists of three Danes, guitarist/vocalist Asger Mygind, keyboardist Martin Werner and bassist Nicolai Mogensen; and one Swede, drummer Adam Janzi. [1] [2]
The band was formed by vocalist and guitarist Asger Mygind and some friends, and coalesced into a stable lineup in 2006. The band self-released their first EP, Homesick Machinery, in 2008, [1] which featured Mygind, guitarist Niels Dreijer, bassist Jeppe Bloch, Martin Werner on keyboards and Niklas Scherfig on drums. [3] A single, "Glasswork", was also released on 22 March 2010. [4] [5]
After the first EP, there were some lineup changes, with Bloch and Scherfig replaced by Nicolai Mogensen and Felix Ewert, respectively. [6] [7] The new lineup recorded a second EP, Monsters, which was self-released by the band in 2011. This EP consists of four tracks characterised by a mix of progressive rock and djent styles, [8] the latter of which was produced thanks to the use of seven-string guitars. [6] The band went on a short five-date tour of their home country to promote the EP, [9] after which Dreijer left the band, leaving them as a four-piece, with Mygind taking over sole responsibility for vocals and guitars, and Mogensen handling backing vocals when they play live. [1]
On 2 February 2015, VOLA self-released their first album Inmazes . [10] A video was released for the first single, "Gutter Moon" in August 2016, the band having previously released a lyric video for "Starburn". [11] The album was later given a physical release on 16 September 2016 by Mascot Label Group. [12] According to Mygind the lyrical themes on Inmazes relate to entrapment: [6]
The album tries to capture this feeling of being trapped in mental mazes and not being able to fully experience happiness, basically. How is this struggle visualized in your own mind and how do your surroundings react to the behaviour caused by it.
On 2 June 2017, the band released their October Session EP, featuring new acoustic versions of two songs from Inmazes ("Gutter Moon" and "Stray the Skies"), with a video being produced for the latter. [13]
To promote Inmazes, the band embarked on a European tour for the first time, supporting Katatonia on their Fallen Hearts Over Europe tour, alongside the Icelandic band Agent Fresco. [14] Drummer Ewert was busy with other commitments and was therefore unable to take part in the tour, so the band hired Simen Sandnes from the band Arkentype as a temporary replacement. [15] It was subsequently announced on 22 August 2017 that Ewert had amicably left the band on a permanent basis, to focus on other projects. His replacement was revealed to be the Swedish drummer Adam Janzi, [16] who had previously played with The Drake Equation. [6]
VOLA's second album, Applause of a Distant Crowd, was released on 12 October 2018, and was considered something of a departure from Inmazes, with less emphasis on the heaviness of the first album, and greater use of electronics, [17] [18] a process defined as "natural" by Asger Mygind: [19]
I was in a very different place mentally while writing the lyrics for Inmazes. I'm definitely in a happier place now.
It was actually a relief to be able to have a wider range of awareness for this record. I think our songs develop in the most natural way if I let my emotional response to the music dictate what the lyrics should be about rather than following any kind of plan.
This time the emotions were mostly tied to observations I've made about the outside world.
In anticipation of the album's release, VOLA released videos between August and October 2018 for "Smartfriend", [19] "Ghosts" [20] and "Alien Shivers". [21] The band were special guests on Monuments' European tour during October and November 2018. [22]
On 11 January 2019, the band released a lyric video for "Whaler" and were announced as the support act for Haken on their European tour throughout February and March. [23] At the end of May 2019 a video was released for "Ruby Pool", the fourth track on the album. [24]
During September 2019, VOLA embarked on their first headlining tour, supported by Arch Echo and Rendezvous Point. [25]
During the second half of 2019, Mygind discussed the band's plans to begin recording their third album in early 2020. [26] It was expected to be heavier than Applause of a Distant Crowd. [27]
On 21 August 2020, the band announced that they had finished recording their third album, which was in the process of being mixed. [28]
A video for the first single, "Head Mounted Sideways", was premiered on 19 November 2020, with the new album due to be released in 2021. [29] A second video, for "Straight Lines", was released in February 2021, at which point it was announced that the new album was to be called Witness , and released on 21 May 2021. [30] On 11 March 2021, a video for the song "24 Light-Years", created by Mogensen and Anne Nørkjær Bang, was premiered. [31] A fourth single, "These Black Claws", featuring SHAHMEN, was released on 6 May 2021. [32]
To promote Witness, the band performed a live-streamed concert from the swimming pool of the abandoned Auderød military camp in North Zealand, near Copenhagen, Denmark, on 11 September 2021. [33] This performance served as the band's first live release, Live From The Pool, which was released on 1 April 2022. [34]
On 22 August 2023, the band released the video for their single, "Paper Wolf". [35] This was followed in June 2024 by a further video for "Break My Lying Tongue", the second single from their fourth studio album, Friend of a Phantom, which was announced for release on 1 November 2024. [36]
On their first album Inmazes, VOLA combined the typical sounds of progressive metal and electronic music, creating songs with odd time signatures, complex riffs and catchy and melodic choruses, with the cover banner drawing comparisons to Pink Floyd, Rammstein and Meshuggah. [37] [38] As explained by Mygind, even the name of the band (which was chosen by previous bassist Jeppe Bloch) reflects their sound in that they "try to do [their] choruses very majestic and grandios [sic]". [1]
With the release of their second album Applause of a Distant Crowd, the band expanded their musical palette to incorporate a more progressive rock sound and a greater use of electronics, with progressive metal essentially limited to the songs "Smartfriend" and "Whaler". [17] [18] [39]
Amongst their influences the band have named Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Devin Townsend, Soilwork, Meshuggah, Massive Attack, Ulver, [6] and Mew. [40] Mygind is a big fan of British musician and producer Steven Wilson, choosing his top ten favourite songs for Prog magazine in November 2018. [22]
Current
Past
Touring
| Year | Song | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Gutter Moon" | Nicolai Mogensen and Anne Nørkjær Bang |
| "Emily" | ||
| 2016 | "Stray the Skies" | |
| 2018 | "Smartfriend" | Craig Murray |
| "Ghosts" | Dennis Andersson and David Andersson | |
| "Alien Shivers" | Nicolai Mogensen and Anne Nørkjær Bang | |
| 2019 | "Whaler" | Brownstache Productions |
| "Ruby Pool" | Asger Mygind | |
| 2020 | "Head Mounted Sideways" | Tuomas Kurikka and Patrik Nuorteva |
| 2021 | "Straight Lines" | |
| "24 Light-Years" | Nicolai Mogensen and Anne Nørkjær Bang | |
| "These Black Claws" | Tuomas Kurikka and Patrik Nuorteva | |
| 2023 | "Paper Wolf" | |
| 2024 | "Break My Lying Tongue" |
Anathema were an English rock band from Liverpool. The group was formed in 1990 by Vincent and Daniel Cavanagh, bassist Jamie Cavanagh, drummer/keyboardist John Douglas, and vocalist Darren White.
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory is the fifth studio album and first concept album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on October 26, 1999, through Elektra Records. It was recorded at BearTracks Studios in Suffern, New York, where the band had previously recorded their second studio album, Images and Words (1992), and the EP A Change of Seasons (1995).
Steven John Wilson is an English musician. He is the founder, guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Porcupine Tree, as well as being a member of several other bands, including Blackfield, Storm Corrosion and No-Man. He is also a solo artist, having released seven solo albums since his solo debut Insurgentes in 2008. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Wilson has made music prolifically and earned critical acclaim. His honours include six nominations for Grammy Awards: twice with Porcupine Tree, once with his collaborative band Storm Corrosion and three times as a solo artist. In 2017, The Daily Telegraph described him as "a resolutely independent artist" and "probably the most successful British artist you've never heard of".
Conception is a Norwegian power/progressive metal band from Raufoss, originally active from 1989 to 1997, during which they released four studio albums. The band reunited in 2018, twenty years after originally disbanding with a new single and EP.
Cynic is an American progressive metal band formed in Miami, Florida by Paul Masvidal in 1987. Masvidal originally served solely as the band's guitarist, but later took over as lead vocalist and chief songwriter. Cynic incorporates elements of progressive rock, alternative, and metal.
Big Big Train are an English progressive rock band formed in Bournemouth in 1990. The current line-up includes band founder Gregory Spawton, along with Nick D'Virgilio, Rikard Sjöblom, Dave Foster (guitars), Clare Lindley, Alberto Bravin and Oskar Holldorff. Until 2009, the band were active as a predominantly studio project led by Spawton and co-founder Andy Poole, who departed the band in 2018, with changing line-ups and guest musicians. They have released fifteen studio albums and six EPs.
Enochian Theory is an English rock/metal/progressive rock band, formed in 2004 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The original lineup of the band consisted of drummer Sam Street, bass guitarist Shaun Rayment, guitarist Scott Ware, and singer/guitarist/keyboard player Ben Harris Hayes.
Aeon Zen are an English progressive metal band formed in 2008, led by founding member Rich Gray. They have been praised and heavily featured in the international music press, labelled by Classic Rock Magazine as 'a strong contender for best newcomer at the very, very least' and, additionally, as Progression Magazine’s selection for "debut album of the year".
Rosalie Jo Cunningham is an English singer-songwriter. After the break-up of the band Ipso Facto, Cunningham started a new project named Purson. She has performed as a solo artist since 2017.
Haken are an English progressive metal band formed in 2007 by multi-instrumentalist Richard Henshall, guitarist Matthew Marshall, and vocalist Ross Jennings. While Henshall, Marshall, and Jennings first had the idea of forming Haken in 2004, they opted to pursue their instruments and songwriting first. Upon recruiting other members three years later, they eventually released the demo Enter the 5th Dimension in 2008, signing with Sensory Records and releasing their first album Aquarius in 2010. As of 2023, they have released seven studio albums, two EPs, and two live albums.
Mystery is a Canadian rock band formed in 1986 by multi-instrumentalist Michel St-Père. The band released their eponymous debut EP in 1992 with Raymond and Gary Savoie on lead vocals, followed by their first album Theatre of the Mind in 1996 and then Destiny? in 1998, both with Gary on lead vocals. In 2007 the band released their third album Beneath the Veil of Winter's Face with singer Benoît David who would record two more studio albums with the band: One Among the Living in 2010 and The World is a Game in 2012. In 2015 the band released their sixth album and first with current singer Jean Pageau Delusion Rain, followed by Lies and Butterflies in 2018 and Redemption on May 15, 2023.
Monuments are a British progressive metal band formed by former Fellsilent guitarist, John Browne, and former Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza guitarist, Josh Travis. The band has released four studio albums through Century Media Records: Gnosis (2012), The Amanuensis (2014), Phronesis (2018) and In Stasis (2022).
Lifesigns are an English progressive rock band, first conceived by lead singer and keys player John Young in 2008. By 2014, the band's lineup included Steve Rispin as their sound engineer, Jon Poole on bass and vocals, Martin "Frosty" Beedle on drums, percussion and vocals, and formerly Niko Tsonev on guitars and vocals. After Tsonev departed the band in 2016, Dave Bainbridge joined on guitar and additional keys. Beedle left the band in 2020 and was replaced by Zoltán Csörsz.
Thank You Scientist is an American progressive rock band from Montclair, New Jersey. Their first EP, The Perils of Time Travel, was released in 2011, and their debut studio album, Maps of Non-Existent Places, releasing three years later, was named the "Revolver Album of the Week" in October 2014. Their second album, Stranger Heads Prevail, was released in July 2016. Their third album, Terraformer, was released in June 2019. In 2021, they released their second EP, Plague Accommodations.
Catherine Anne Davies, better known by the stage name the Anchoress, is a Welsh-born multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and author.
Phronesis is the third studio album by British progressive metal band Monuments. It was released through Century Media Records on 5 October 2018. Phronesis is derived from the ancient Greek word for "wisdom". It is the band's last release with vocalist Chris Barretto, drummer Daniel Lang and guitarist Olly Steele.
Thornhill are an Australian heavy metal band from Melbourne, formed in 2015. The band currently consists of vocalist Jacob Charlton, guitarist Ethan McCann, drummer Ben Maida, and bass guitarist Nick Sjogren. Thornhill have released two studio albums: The Dark Pool (2019) and Heroine (2022), and two EPs: 13 (2016) and Butterfly (2018).
The Quest is the twenty-second studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 1 October 2021 by InsideOut Music and Sony Music. It is their first studio album featuring Billy Sherwood since The Ladder (1999), replacing bassist Chris Squire following his death in 2015, and their first album without any original members. It is also their first album since Talk (1994) to be produced by only one member, namely guitarist Steve Howe, and their last studio album to be released before the death of drummer Alan White in 2022.
The Utopia Strong are a British electronic band formed in Glastonbury, England in 2018. The group consists of Steve Davis, Kavus Torabi, and Michael J. York. They released their self-titled debut album in 2019 and their second, International Treasure, in 2022.
Inmazes is the debut studio album by Danish progressive metal band Vola. The album was originally self-released on 2 February 2015. The album was re-released through Mascot Label Group on 16 September 2016.
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
