VASA – Heroics (2020)

As the adage goes, ‘you work hard, you play hard’. Sure, a tad confusing when applied to music. Glaswegian instrumental rockers Vasa have been working for three years… playing. They’ve been putting their sweat into their playing, to piece together their anticipated follow-up to Colours. And, now that Heroics has finally hit the shelves, what do they do? Go out and play it in front of crowds.

Let’s throw in another Gordian knot: Vasa’s music is, thematically and contextually, play. It is the wanton disregard of purpose or composure in favour of unbridled enjoyment. It’s no wonder the quartet get thrown in with the math rock crowd; their sound is unashamedly indulgent and dazzling.

But there’s a key element that sets them apart from the uber-jolly, clean-toned fretboard fiddling that typifies the genre. Heroics goes straight for the throat. It channels the bombastic, riff-busting arena-punching era of ASIWYFA‘s Gangs and Alpha Male Tea Party‘s Droids or even The Fucking Champs‘ IV. Numerous pedals are stomped on to glaze the wildly wandering guitar melodies. The sound is monumental and thunderous.

Yes, Heroics is very much indulgence. It’s beautifully excessive, and oozing with sugary texture.