Vega: Who We Are
British melodic rockers Vega are back with their fourth album, titled Who We Are. You might not know it from the silly cover art, but Vega has emerged as one of the better bands in the modern melodic rock scene.
So let’s answer the album’s title question right away. Vega is one of the hot new bands on the Frontiers label (and they are an actual band, not just a project) that features Tom and James Martin (on guitar and keyboards, respectively), who have put their songwriting stamp on some other Frontiers releases, singer Nick Workman (ex-Eden, ex-Kick), who is one of the most underrated vocalists in the genre, as well as guitarist Marcus Thurston and drummer Dan Chantrey.
If you’re already familiar with Vega’s prior albums, Who We Are doesn’t offer a lot of surprises. This is an upbeat, catchy melodic rock album that’s rooted in the classic AOR sounds of Journey, Loverboy and Foreigner, but with a nod to bands like Harem Scarem, Def Leppard and Mr. Big. Workman sounds almost like James Labrie singing AOR at times, which works surprisingly well. His warm, steady vocals go perfectly with the melodies here. Need proof: check the samples of “Nothing is Forever,” “Ignite” (great backing vox on that one) and “We Got It All.” Then there’s “Saving Grace,” which is just a great song and would make a fantastic single if radio would ever touch this kind of music.
There have been a lot of fantastic melodic rock albums so far this year, but Who We Are has to be one of the best of the bunch. Vega continues to show the world what melodic rock in the new century can sound like. Fans of any of the bands named earlier, as well as bands like Sunstorm, Khymera, Find Me, Night Ranger and Nordic Union really need to hear this one.
Label: Frontiers
Website: https://www.facebook.com/OFFICIALVEGA
Summary: Vega is quietly becoming one of the best bands in melodic rock. Don't let this one pass you by.
4.4
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