Vanderlust's 'The Human Farm' is a cosmic prog metal journey that explores a fascinating premise: humans selling their souls to aliens for a short, perfect life. The band's storytelling prowess, however, is a mixed bag. While their musical skills and vision are impressive, the narrative elements sometimes overshadow their strengths.
The album's strength lies in its biggest moments. Ricca Morello's powerful vocals and Martina Barreca's death growls add a punch to the sound, especially on tracks like 'Battlefield' and the emotionally charged bookends 'Humanity 2.0 – The Human Farm' and 'Humanity 3.0 – The New Canaan'. These tracks showcase Vanderlust's ability to create epic, memorable moments.
However, the album's pacing is inconsistent. The momentum from 'Golden Shackles' dissipates in the slow-burning 'The Turning Point', and the energy of 'Viral Escape' is deflated by the narrative interlude '…Find Them!'. This inconsistency makes the album feel uneven, despite the band's never-too-far-off soaring crescendos.
The band's conceptual ambitions, while intriguing, sometimes hinder their musical prowess. They frequently dumb down musical ideas to allow narration more sonic space, which is exacerbated by the uniformly bad acting performances across the album. This approach feels like a tacked-on concession to the story rather than an integral part of the music.
Despite these issues, 'The Human Farm' is not without its highlights. Fans of prog-power will find things to like here, and Vanderlust is a band to keep an eye on. Their third album, if they make one, could be a significant step forward.
In conclusion, 'The Human Farm' is a mixed bag. While it has its memorable moments and impressive musical skills, the narrative elements sometimes overshadow the band's strengths. Vanderlust has the potential to create a great record, but they need to refine their storytelling to match their songwriting.
