Volcandra – Border World
Release Date: 24th June 2022
Label: Prosthetic Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Death Metal, Melodic Blackened Death Metal, Progressive Black Metal.
FFO: Non Est Deus, Stormruler, Amon Amarth.
Review By: Andy Spoon
Volcandra emerge on June 24th, 2022 with their forthcoming release, Border World, a melodic, technically-diverse EP with scalding guitar sections and otherworldly lyrical components; which takes multiple faces, one in Blackened death, and the other in power-death metal, neither really managing to effectively convey the overall thesis of the album succinctly. The Louisville-based band produced the album entirely in their home state of Kentucky, USA as a follow-up to the 2020 release Into the Azure, which was received well by fans and critics alike. Border World seeks to add to the same library of science fiction and fantasy-based content that lends itself so-well to the technical death genre and Volcandra’s short, but dynamic discography.
It can be difficult for bands to endeavor to manage their sound as inspiration and songwriting take variable paths in the writing process. This is one of the problems that can come up with the overall cohesiveness of an album In Border World, the EP starts with Tallon IV, a death metal track with some blackened elements. Immediately, the listener begins to expect more of the same. However, track 2, Resonance Cascade has much of the elements of a deathy-power-metal song, with trilling leads, wailing solos, and a 6:32 minute run time. It becomes slightly apparent that there are multiple directions going all at one time.
Next, track 3, Colossi, is more of a technical/melodic blackened death offering, deviating between fast, slow, and melodic interludes, even featuring a half-time breakdown towards its conclusion. The vocals never deviate from blistering mid-screams into cleans, something that would have given me pause, as it seems clear that Border World tends to struggle with its main identity already. Track 4, Guardian, brings back some of the power metal influence, guitar-lead-heavy and epic-sounding throughout its run time.
I had an extremely difficult time trying to decipher what direction this album wanted to go at either point. Is it a Power/Death/melodic metal album? Half of the album has a definite “feel” that would appeal to fans of melodic death metal with blackened elements. The other half would seem to appeal to fans of extreme Viking metal, given the fantasy elements that make up its lyrical dynamics. There is nothing that makes me think either one of the main identities that Volcandra provide in Border World are not relevant or well-executed, but jamming them together feels slightly phoned-in, so to say.
It almost has the feeling that these are 2 half-EPs that never got finished, one being a power/death metal, and the other taking more of a blackened-death direction. Each of the 2 tracks in its respective elements feels cohesive with its companion, but not with its sister tracks, which feel more like distant cousins, if anything. Recording and production on all 4 tracks is great, mixing and mastering coming through on my small computer speakers very clearly. The album just leaves me to feel that there is either more that needs to be added in total to make either one of its identities work better.
It’s frankly good that this is an EP, as it doesn’t need to be part of the “canon” of the band’s releases, as I think Volcandra would be wise to pursue a better-blended attack for its next LP. It would be fair to think of Border World as a market tester for the band’s next release, whether it takes one form or another. This is not to say that either of the matters is bad, which they are not. It would be extremely difficult to listen to a 10-track version of this type of album, as it would feel like 2 different bands playing over each other. Whatever your particular opinion of either movements of the EP are, they are listenable, catchy at important moments, and well-produced; I just wish that I could have had more of either one of the styles without the presence of the other. 
(2.5 / 5)
