Vitamin XP Delivers A Vintage Style Punk Record With Rambunctious Energy
- R.A.G.
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Vitamin XP is known for showcasing several different styles of rock throughout their entirety and catalog. Still, one of my favorite records to date has to be one called Not Of This World. The reason is that this album, in particular, showcases such a range and rambunctious, almost classic punk rock energy and aesthetic that it's impossible to turn away from.
Now, the band has several albums and plenty of singles released under their belt, but this one really comes through with an almost vintage, closed-fisted, slightly aggressive but incredibly fun attitude and style.
They certainly don't waste much time with the first track, 'Rise", which comes in with a great guitar into thrashing progressions and layers of vocals that sort of flow but feel animated, almost like a live performance.
The gritty semi-garage punk sound is really in your face. This is a massive track and a great way to introduce the record because it's a way for you to understand that you need to buckle in.
The full-throttle energy of this record doesn't quite let up. This is one of my favorite attributes about the entire thing, simply because it's infectious. It gets your blood pumping, it gets your soul thriving, and it makes you want to jump up and down.
As I mentioned before, listening to this record does give you the feel of a live performance, almost like they recorded it all at once in a room together.
I'm not sure if that's how it went down, but it definitely has that sort of synergy between the band members.
The drumming is outstanding, especially on tracks like "Stay Away", which hold very little back in terms of delivering a punch.
The drumming across this record is like the focal point of that energy.
The drummer doesn't just sit in the pocket, but instead gives an electric liveliness to the rest of the record, and it does feel like some of the rest of the band certainly push off of that.
I think that's how it's supposed to be, especially with the hard rock and thrashing kind of music that delivers this kind of sonic intensity.
The vocals are always on par. They're usually double-tracked or more, giving you a thickness, and it's not super tight but instead slightly sloppy. That again is part of the aesthetic of this kind of music. You have vocals that are tracked twice, and it adds to the wildness of the music.
The singer really does just belt out. This is a fists-in-the-air type of record.
Now, they do blend in indie rock and alternative from time to time, adding in some brightness, color, and pop sensibility, especially with songs like "Something New", which is totally addicting and has great hooks.
They also get experimental, think outside the box, and give you theatrical feels like on "Fight", which comes in with a sick drum intro and time signature that sticks throughout the rest of the song.
Some of these songs just drive right through you. They come crashing down in those big Sonic walls of sound and energy, and you end up holding on to that through the record.
"Chicken Sandwich" is one of my favorites on the record, as it delivers some of that very vintage feeling punk rock.
I grew up with lots of different kinds of punk. These guys really held on to the essence of what punk rock is all about with this record.
They give you everything you could ask for in terms of having a catchy but still gritty, and raw punk record, and I think part of that has to do with how they recorded it as much as the songwriting.
Don't get me wrong, this is all about great songwriting, performances from every member of the band, and again this intense energy that doesn't quite give up, but the way they recorded the record also hints at trying to capture a classic Punk aesthetic as well.
The way the drums sound, the way the vocals are recorded as well. Sometimes it sounds like the vocals are through an amp sim, or a megaphone, or something of that nature.
They certainly don't need any additional effects, as they are wild and within themselves. The vocalist is always on point, and always pushing boundaries with the rest of the band so that the soundscape they're going for is absolutely nailed every time, but there are moments throughout the record where they experiment here and there and have some effects on different elements of the instruments and vocals.
This was really fun.
It's also a pretty big record, spanning 13 tracks and almost 40 minutes in length, so there's a lot to chew on.
This is for people who love classic punk, some indie rock flair, a hint of alternative, and loads of attitude and swagger. The record is packed with all of that, and it's done with a certain kind of charm and a lot of heart.
This is clearly a band that has a real love for playing songs together, and the record showcases all that perfectly.
Not only would I suggest listening to this entire record from beginning to end in one shot, but I also suggest listening to the Watermelon album, as that one is a little different but also awesome.
Their records have a lot to say lyrically, and a lot of edginess in their overtones, danceable songs, flavorful tracks, and so much more to soak in.
So, check this record out and then dig through the rest of their stuff because it's super worth it.
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