Secret of Vessia

Brothers Forever!



CD Review by Rick de Yampert of News-Jrnl

The Secret of Vessia far from mundane "Burning Aphelion" Independent release **** (of 5)



The Secret of Vessia

."Burning Aphelion," prog-metal heads will have their DNA shape-shifted by the band's amazing sound-scapes.



"Lithotroph" is a 13-minute, 32-second epic that earns that designation. Singer-guitarist Ish Rios conjures shaman wails while sounding like an incubus doppelganger of Evanescence's Amy Lee. Guitarist-keyboardist Steve Ingram tosses in -- ohmygod -- organ bits that recall Spinal Tap's granddaddy, Deep Purple (that's a good thing). Wait, there's more -- a Jaco-ish bass solo by Scott Queen.



Likewise on other tracks, the SoV lads are too adventurous (or too haunted by the Segacious Ones) to be bothered with government-issue riff rock.

The guitars of "Fulcrum" stagger and stutter before hammerlocking onto a groove midway in, then the track mellows into a trippy outro before finishing with an operatic flourish. "Alas, to the Endless Beyond" is energized by drummer Billy Dean's intricate fills.



The ghostly choir boys of "Segacious One" and "Fruition," a sideways (and likely subconscious) quote of the Who's "Baba O'Riley" on "Rock" and some psychedelic, Pink Floyd-ish dreamscapes scattered elsewhere provide jolting relief from the thrash.



Webster's defines "aphelion" as the point on its orbit when a planet is farthest from the sun. "Burning Aphelion" is a point where progressive metal is farthest from the mundane.

-- Rick de Yampert,

Entertainment Writer



The Secret of Vessia is aggressively passionate, with profound mystic qualities of ancient metaphysical theorems, and Egyptology. There musical style is bold, raw burning fire with an unquenchable thirst, ambient space travel to battle fields of rage, and lustful depictions of revenge. Providing a bridge to the seen and unseen Secret of Vessia’s unveiling debut album titled “Burning Aphelion” offers entrance into the mind of the warrior’s journey. Providing a new philosophy on the fruition of mans origins, divergence of body with the combatants of soul, fervent burdens of sacrifice to lustful encounters which ultimately lead to the destruction of the Sagacious Ones destiny and life as we know it. The Secret of Vessia is monster rock with savage instinct and a will to defy gravity.