Vega Who We Are cd review

On the 13th of May Vega release album number 4 and the follow up to 2014's Stereo Messiah on Frontiers Records Srl.

I will get this out of the way first and say I have been a huge Vega fan since the release of their debut album Kiss Of Life back in 2010 and it still amazes me that they are not one of the biggest bands on the planet.

They have it all I love in upbeat melodic rock music with huge sing along choruses with Nick Workman's stellar vocal range a perfect match alongside guitar riffs that bite and seduce and the 2 Martin brothers Tom(on guitars and bass) and James (on keys) who write all the music and they deserve such credit for writing songs that back in the day would have been all over rock radio and MTV.

I will try to be subjective and I have to say that after having the album for 2 weeks that the band have topped Stereo Messiah with yet more choruses to die for and how the band will find time to play everything their collection now has in a 40 minute slot on the upcoming dates with Magnum heaven only knows.

Explode is track one and it does just that with probably the biggest guitar riff the band have laid down with Marcus Thurston really hitting the mark straight off the mark in the opening seconds.Guitars and drums from Dan Chantrey unite in an eargasm of a song that should open the live shows with a real look at us feel and that is just what I want from Vega.
Slight dip in the first part of the verse but it all builds up into the first chorus with guitars high in the mix and keys rounding out the sound with Nick having a real edge to the melodic chorus.Marcus's fast fingered flurry guitar solo fits just so in a song that will have crowds punching the air in celebration.Perfect opener.

We Got It All takes it down a notch with the first verse all about Nick's vocal delivery as he peaks and soars and again it all builds to a big chorus with Nick hanging onto the word All!!!!!!Crowd participation on that word I can feel it coming.Some woah woahs after Marcus's again note perfect guitar solo and back to another chorus with Nick telling us somedays he wants to be somebody before he again hangs onto another lengthy note that shows he is one of the UK's top melodic vocal talents.

Every Little Monster was the first teaser for the new cd with a keys led mid paced Vega stomper of a song with Marcus's guitar dipping in and out on the verse and Nick again excelling on the chorus.A bit more of an AOR feel to this song and one that fits into the Vega catalogue just so.

Nothing Is Forever starts on a keys intro and Nick's quite marvellous vocal and a more mature if that is the word feel to a ballad that is taken above the ordinary with the vocal delivery and the song writing class shining through.
I am not sure if the band could have carried off this sort of ballad in their earlier career and shows the maturing of not only the song writing but also the band development.
Marcus's guitar solo again short and sweet but not just a flurry of notes and really telling a story and only adding to the feel of a top notch ballad.

White Flag is classic Vega a driving guitar riff and keys entwine and a dip to the first verse before pre chorus all of the band crash in to a big big chorus while the following For Our Sins starts on a Marcus guitar melody line and love Nick's vocal lines leading to the chorus as he really hits the high notes with his tone pitch perfect.Marcus again shows off his melodic styling to the solo and I really would love to see him break loose one day and not just for 30 seconds.The outro verse has Nick competing with Marcus's guitar melody in a nice change to the norm.

Generation Now is a Vega anthem with a truly outstanding chorus that hits the heights alongside a big guitar riff and a floating keys riff too.I just want to push play again every time I hear that chorus and maybe this Generation would be better if this was the soundtrack to it.A live favourite in the making.

Ignite takes it down a notch or two with an AOR feel with a angular guitar riff that dips in and out with the focus on the pre chorus and the great backing vocals and Nick soaring on the chorus too.

Saving Grace is built for summer festivals with a bounce along drum rhythm and one to get the crowds jumping.Bigger than ever chorus and Nick's pitch hitting the heights on more held notes.

If Not You is driven along by Dan's drum track and is all about yet another chorus that demands audience participation and a bubbling under keys riff.

Hurt So Bad ends the album as it demands with a Vega anthem which builds and build pre chorus with Nick hitting ever higher notes and a quite wonderful melodic chorus with a jangling guitar riff and Dan's drums driving the song ever higher.
Plenty of woah woahs for crowds to holler back too and finishing the album off in style and all wrapped up in a great production from Harry Hess of Harem Scarem..

Who We Are is Vega showing everyone this is who they are and that is one of the world's premier melodic rock talents.

Vega hit the road in May with Magnum before a sole head lining date in London.

Be there we will.