Artist: Vast
Album Title: Visual Audio Sensory Theater
Label: Elektra
Bones:
Summary: If it is good enough for Lars Ulrich...
Reviewed By: Chad Bosworth

One of the best things about music is discovery. There - I said it. Now let me explain. Everyone (possibly excluding the pop mass-market) has at one time or another heard a track, a rhythm, a melody or even a voice that has mesmerised them. Has grabbed them by the personals and stopped the world around them for a split second. Sure, it's great to listen to the newest recording from your favourite artist - in fact anticipation is another great part of a music lover's existence, but nothing compares to being blown away by something new.

In 1999, I was browsing the shelves of my then-favourite independent record store (now gone - thank you very much chain-stores-of-Satan.) looking for nothing in particular. Amongst the 'V' section I happened upon a CD with very interesting artwork. A close-up shot of an eye; large black pupil in the middle surrounded by the coloured iris - half of which was blue, the other half light brown. Coincidentally, I have a bi-coloured eye that almost perfectly matches the shades on this cover. I had to listen.

Jon Crosby, better known as VAST, released his debut album in 1998 in the U.S. shortly after being signed to Elektra. A multi-instrumentalist, and pretty much one-man-band, he's drawn comparisons to Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor. However, Crosby's musical vision is unlike anything else - mostly Industrial rock with beautiful ambient melodies washed with unusual spiritual and vocal samples. Think Stabbing Westward, Enigma and a handful of Benedictine Monks in a concrete mixer.

Album opener "Here" begins with a haunting progressive string orchestration before launching into machinic-rock. You have to hear it to understand. "Touched" is the track that can probably be single-handedly credited with VAST's major-label signing, as it was the radio-played gem that got the exec's attention, and with good reason. Jon's gentle acoustic guitar and placid vocals along with a serene choral backing progress and layer with semi-fierce tribal drumming and bass guitar. The lyrics are perhaps the most striking element of the song, conveying feelings of desperation and hopelessness at reaching love's peak and suffering loss.

Showing a darker side, "Pretty When You Cry" has a more electronic edge and selfishly nasty lyrics, whilst maintaining the spiritual chants and industrial feel the album carries through. Fans of the Tea Party will find interesting and familiar sounds in (ironically) "Temptation" and particularly "Three Doors" which delivers a nice World Rock blend. Not every song is a standing ovation deserver, but the amazing far outweighs the ho-hum; see "I'm Dying" and "Dirty Hole".

VAST now has three albums, and whilst second release "Music For People" is fantastic (albeit a little more generic), to my mind Crosby is still to out-do Visual Audio Sensory Theater. Perhaps it can't be done.