Early 00s noise rockers(featuring former members of HAMMERHEAD) VAZ have returned. I’m not sure where the NYC based, former LOAD RECORDS recording artists went, but here with an album released a few months ago, CHARTREUSE BULL (out on DAMAGE RITUALS), they are loud and they are back. VAZ continues to straddle the metal/noise rock boundary they have most often called home. A sense of melody and song also remains present in these proceedings. “Blockade” features some nasty sludgy riffage and creeping/plaintive vocals that seem meant to fend off some oncoming calamity. “The 2nd” opens with almost two minutes of vocal-less shredding
that eventually gives way to strangely anthemic vocals. Vaz’s ability to mesh vocal melody with the guitar strangled murk of their sound is really what makes them stand out. Here they’ve made their best record since DEMONSTRATIONS IN MICRONESIA for LOAD a decade ago. Definitely glad to hear it.