VICINITY – Recurrence (April 21, 2017)

The Norwegian progressive metal band Vicinity is back with a follow-up to the critically acclaimed album Awakening (2013), put on best newcomer lists by several webzines and Norwegian national radio (NRK P3). Their new creation, Recurrence, is a concept album, out on Mighty Music, that debates the cyclic nature of humanity, both as a whole and at more personal levels while highlighting both the technical- and melodic aspects familiar to the progressive metal genre.

With Recurrence the band set out to make an album that would be more than just the sum of its tracks, and envisioned an album where the songs would float into each other, and at the very end of the album connecting with the beginning of the first song, making an ”infinite” musical piece, thus mirroring the lyrics. The major theme of the album, lyrically, became: the cyclical nature of the human condition. Within that theme, the lyrics explore and challenge topics like dementia and memory, and whether the world might be a better place without what humanity has become. It raises questions about the very existence in itself and what is left behind when we’re gone, both as individual people, but also as a species.

The band wanted to challenge themselves technically, but always keeping the songs and the album as a whole in focus. The result is an album of six tracks, varying in length from 5 to 22 minutes per song, in the tradition of bands like Circus Maximus, Threshold, Arena and early Dream Theater.

Vicinity recorded parts of Recurrence at Skarp Studio and parts at their own studio. Mixing duties were handed to Christer-André Cederberg, who had previously mixed albums for both Circus Maximus and Anathema. Mastering was once again handled by Jens Bogren (Symphony X, James Labrie, Opeth, etc).

Following the release of Awakening, the band played several concerts in Norway, sharing the stage with bands like Withem, Tritonus, Mindtech, Rudhira and Fuel for Disaster.

BUY: VICINITY