The Norwegian progressive metal band Vicinity is back with a follow up to the critically acclaimed album ”Awakening” (2013), named best newcomer on several webcines and Norwegian national radio. Their new creation, ”Recurrence”, is a concept album focusing on the cyclic nature of humanity, while highlighting both the technical- and melodic aspects familliar to the progressive metal genre.
With ”Recurrence” the band focused on making an album that would be more than just the sum of it’s tracks, and therefore envisioned an album where the songs would float into each other, and at the very end connect with the beginning of the first song, making an ”infinite” album; thus mirroring the lyrics. The major theme of the album, lyrically, more or less presented itself; the cyclic nature of humanity. Within that theme the lyrics explore and challenge topics like dementia, whether the world might be a better place without what humanity has become, and what is left behind when we’re gone. As always the band wanted to challenge themselves technically, always trying do better than the last time. But always keeping the songs and the album as a whole in focus. The result is an album comprising six tracks, varying in length from 5 to 22 minutes per track, at times, but certainly not always; in the tradition of bands like Circus Maximus, Threshold, Arena, Haken, early Dream Theater and Pagan’s Mind.
Vicinity started the recording of ”Recurrence” in november 2015, at Skarp Studio (Keep of Kalessin, Triosphere, Tellus Requiem), where they tracked the drums. The following months would be spent recording bass, guitars and keyboards at Vicinity’s own recording facilites, once again selfproducing the album. Alexander K. Lykke would then record the vocals at Tagline’s recording facilities in Trondheim. Mixing duties was handed to Christer-André Cederberg, who had previously mixed both Circus Maximus and Anathema, aiming for- and ending up with a more organic sounding mix than was the case with ”Awakening”. Mastering was once again handled by Jens Bogren (Symphony X, James Labrie, Opeth, Haken, Headspace and many more).
Vicinity is the musical melting pot of band members Alexander K. Lykke (vocals), Kim-Marius H. Olsen (guitars), Pierre-Nicolai H. Schmidt-Melbye (bass) and Ivar A. Nyland (keyboards). The band draws inspiration from all the kinds of music the band members enjoy listening to, be it classic- or modern prog, rock, pop, classical music, heavy metal or more extreme stuff. Once the musical ideas have been filtered through the band it all comes out sonding like Vicinity anyways, no matter who came up with the inital idea.
Following the release of ”Awakening” the band played several gigs in Norway, sharing the stage with bands like Withem, Tritonus, Mindtech, Rudhira and Fuel for Disaster.
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Alexander K. LykkeInstrument: Vocals |
Kim-Marius H. OlsenInstrument: Guitars |
Pierre H. Schmidt-MelbyeInstrument: Bass |
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Frode LillevoldInstrument: Drums |
Ivar A. NylandInstrument: Synth/Keyboards |