Vega's 'Battlelines' - Album Review

Whilst AOR and melodic rock has always been much more of an American phenomenon than a British one, the UK still has a proud, if under-appreciated, history with the genre. FM and Magnum are the most obvious bands from the UK scene who should have become household names; but others like Shy, Torino, and Tobruk (among others) also did their bit. None of these band ever did significant business outside of the UK, though, and this country's contribution to the genre is largely downplayed. Even in the relative boom which the genre has undergone in the recent years, largely thanks to Frontiers Records, the UK still features pretty rarely - with bands from Scandinavia often dominating the scene now. Ten have made a bit of a name for themselves since forming in the 1990s, but perhaps the most popular exponent of genuine AOR from the UK currently is Vega - who formed back in 2009. Whilst the band have never truly broken through, they have a strong back catalogue packed full of songs which could have been hits if released under the right conditions - and they are a great representative of what the UK can do when it comes to melodic rock. The band have been pretty prolific, too, having released seven albums between 2010 and 2021 - and last month their eighth album Battlelines came out. Battlelines is the first album of what will likely become seen as the second 'era' of Vega. Despite undergoing a few line-up changes over the years, until last year the band's core had always been made up of frontman Nick Workman and the Martin brothers - Tom on guitar/bass guitar and James on keyboards. The three wrote the vast majority of the band's catalogue as a trio, and essentially 'were' Vega - with a few members coming and going around them. Lead guitarist Marcus Thurston has been around since the second album, but drummers and rhythm guitarists have come and gone - with Workman and the Martin brothers' songs keeping Vega on track. I was shocked, then, when the Martin brothers left the band last year. It was all handled somewhat strangely, as their departure was never formally announced. I think that the brothers put out a statement somewhere, but I could never find it. I had always assumed that, in reality, Vega was their band - so to imagine Vega without them was hard. Battlelines sees Workman as the only founding member of the band left, then, but with Thurston still in tow some of Vega's past remains. Guitarist Billy Taylor and drummer Pete Newdeck are still around, with both making their debuts on 2021's Anarchy and Unity (which I reviewed here) - and the new-look five-piece Vega has been completed by bassist Mart Trail (Fury; Steve Grimmett's Grim Reaper; Aaron Buchanan and the Cult Classics). No replacement keyboard player has been sought, but on Battlelines all of the keyboards have been handled by Newdeck. In fact, he seems to have essentially become the band's main driving force alongside Workman. He co-wrote all but one of the songs here, sung backing vocals, and produced the album - alongside his main job behind the drumkit. Those who know his history with Eden's Curse and Tainted Nation will know what a great songwriter he is - and Battlelines has a somewhat different overall vibe thanks to his greater involvement.

Having said that, Battlelines is still very much recognisably Vega. The band's cinematic and quite modern take on AOR is intact, and the current line-up have stayed true to their history despite the shift in personnel. There are plenty of memorable songs here, and Heroes & Zeros gets the album off to a flying start. It is a pretty hard rocking song, opening with a strident mid-paced guitar riff which sets the tone for the rest of the album. Vega have always been at the tougher end of AOR, and Battlelines fully channels that sound - with the keyboards dialled back somewhat and the guitar playing pushed to fore. The intro riff later forms the first of many hooky choruses here, with lots of big vocal harmonies, whilst the verses are a bit more stripped back - allowing Trail's bass to snake its way through the mix whilst chiming clean guitar melodies add depth. An anthemic pre-chorus slows the pace briefly, but it is the aforementioned chorus where the song shines the brightest. Newdeck has improved the band's approach to vocal harmonies since coming on board, and his voice compliments Workman's perfectly - and the chorus sounds huge thanks to their efforts. A brief guitar solo adds some extra melody, and the song showcases that Vega still mean business. Killers is similar, but the song feels a little more urgent thanks to a heavier opening riff, and a verse guitar pattern which is quite snappy. There are moments here which border on metal at times, but the overall production and the presence of the keyboards root the song firmly in melodic rock territory - whilst Workman's powerful vocals soar effortlessly above these shuffling riffs. Many of the songs on this album took a few listens to sink in, which I often find with Vega's material despite their use of hooks, and Killers is one which opened itself up slowly. The chorus is another big moment, and it feels a bit more stadium-ready than some of the more subtle moments here - whilst the guitar solo is more of a slow-burn, as it starts against an atmospheric backing before speeding up in line with the rest of the song. The title track slows the pace somewhat, and instantly showcases the band's love of Def Leppard. There are often songs on a Vega album which channel the Sheffield band, and the aching, guitar-led intro reminds me a lot of recent Def Leppard - and the cinematic verses, which feature a big bass presence, are full of atmosphere and emotional vocals. Following two harder rocking songs, Battlelines is a welcome shift in tone - and a great example of the band's pure AOR side. Everything builds towards a big chorus, which is built around a Def Leppard-esque guitar hook, and the guitar solo section sees plenty of lyrical shredding - as well as some harmony guitar licks. Vega do this cinematic sound well, and Battlelines is another strong example of it. Love to Hate You very much screams 'single', and it is one of the album's most anthemic and immediate tracks. It is another strident hard rocker, but the keyboards are higher in the mix - whilst the liberal use of guitar leads early on sets a more melodic tone. There is a bit of an urgency to the song, which brings the best out of Workman's grittier delivery, whilst the chorus is likely the album's best thanks to stadium-ready hooks and a sparkling synth lead. The chorus melodies do remind me of another song which I cannot currently place, so it has a familiar feel, but it is very much rooted in 1980s AOR so this is unsurprising. There is still plenty of bite despite the hooks, and the guitar solo is one of the shreddiest on the album up to this point. It is the sort of song which sticks in the brain - and it is sure to become a live favourite.

Don't Let Them See You Bleed keeps the keyboards higher in the mix, and the song is less riff-driven than that which has come so far on the album. Despite some punchy guitar stabs early on, the opening musical motif is more keyboard-led - with the guitars of Thurston and Taylor creating a rhythmic base. Floating synth hooks provide counter-melodies to Workman's vocals during the verses, whilst the chorus is another good example of Vega's tougher, cinematic side. Despite the stronger keyboard presence, the song is still pretty gritty. This is no ballad, and the guitars throughout create a tough layer beneath the melodic vocals and synths. In some ways, songs like this are Vega's bread and butter. There has always been a fair amount of grit in Vega's brand of melodic rock - with the synths sounding more modern and not ripped from a Survivor album. Don't Let Them See You Bleed has all of those classic hallmarks - and it is armed with another memorable chorus which sinks its teeth in after a few listens. Embrace the Grey has a similar tone, but the song is more guitar-led overall - and the arrangement is more dynamic. Trail's bass has generally been pretty present in the mix up to this point, but Embrace the Grey gives it more of a staring role in a pulsing intro and throughout the verses - whilst a slow-burning guitar lead also adds a lot early on. The track tends to grow in stature as it moves along, with the verses getting more filled out as the chorus approaches. Gentle guitar chimes become more prominent - and the chorus is an explosion of emotion with some heartfelt vocals from both Workman and Newdeck. Big guitar leads fill the chorus, too, and these are expanded on during a later solo - which comes after a strange, heavy bridge section that includes some meaty, slow riffing. 33's and 45's returns to a more overtly-melodic sound, with the cinematic sound of the previous two songs replaced by something more akin to the hooky sound of Love to Hate You. This song is perhaps not as anthemic as that previous cut, but it is another track which feels built around its big chorus. Workman belts out the chorus with real power, and the track constantly builds towards it - with verses which again are a little stripped back and bass-led at times. The song is packed with the sort of hooks which the band have become known for over the years, and anyone who has loved any of the band's previous singles will find a lot to love here. The guitar solo section is another good one, too, and it features plenty more harmony leads from Thurston and Taylor. Speaking of Taylor, he co-wrote Into the Fire - which follows. It is the only song here which Newdeck did not co-write, and it is great to see that the band has another strong contributor in Taylor - as the ballad Into the Fire is another excellent piece. It is my favourite of the slower pieces here, and it has an epic sound to it despite the slower overall pace. The bass and some chiming piano fill the verses, whilst a shuffling groove adds a lot to a big pre-chorus - which includes another Def Leppard-esque guitar lead. Guitar leads are also made good use of during the chorus, which has some great screaming notes - adding grit to what is otherwise a slow-burning tune. The chorus is huge-sounding though, with Workman and Newdeck going overboard with the aching harmonies - whilst the melodic guitar solo only echoes this mood perfectly. The song has become one of my favourites on the album, and I look forward to hearing more compositions from Taylor going forward.

Run with Me has more of an urgency to it, and it is another very typical Vega song - with a strong use of atmospheric synths backing a hard rocking track. Newdeck's drums drive everything, whilst the bass again fills out parts of the verses. There is more of a guitar presence overall, though, and the track feels a bit meatier than some of the other more dynamic pieces. The overall speed is a big part of this, but also the guitars are much more varied - adding crunching riffing alongside more expansive and atmospheric lead playing. The keyboards are a bit more old-school, too, with a few 1980s hints in the sound - with some counter-melodies playing off the heavier guitars nicely. The chorus is another winner, and like Love to Hate You it is one of the album's best. It really bounds out of the speakers, and it is one of the album's more dramatic moments overall thanks to the strong pace. Not Enough slows the pace again, and the cinematic slow-burner opens with some aching harmony guitar leads. The song never really feels like a true ballad, but it is certainly on the slower and more emotional side of things - and it plays to Vega's strengths with a big keyboard presence and plenty of space for Workman's excellent vocals. Despite Vega's relative popularity, I am not sure that Workman really gets the respect he deserves. He has a very powerful voice, and he is not just a carbon copy of Lou Gramm or Steve Perry - which is what so many modern AOR bands tend to go for. He is very much his own man, and this epic track certainly displays why - and I think he is why Vega have managed to continue despite the loss of two of their main songwriters. His voice is a big part of what makes Vega such - and Not Enough's chorus is another big moment on an album full of them. The penultimate song here ups the pace quite considerably, as God Save the King is one of the fastest tracks here, and there is even a little bit of a punk edge to some of the riffing. The track is still very much rooted in Vega's typical melodic rock sound, but there is a quite a bit of snarl to be found - and Workman sings some of the song in a lower register than usual, which works well when combined with Newdeck's backing vocals. The chorus is hooky thanks to its pace and the strong use of guitar leads throughout - and the energy of the piece is unlike anything else on the album. It flies by as a result, and it shows a slightly different side of the band. The album then comes to a close with Gotta Be You, another Def Leppard-esque piece which features lots of Vega's key hallmarks in one song. It is another fairly up-tempo rocker, but it is more dynamic than the previous cut - although the chorus is another pretty pacy moment overall. The opening guitar lead is hooky, whilst the verses grow in stature around a big bass line - and lots of guitar patterns. The song might not be as epic as some of the others here, which is surprising considering that it is a closer, but there are still plenty of hooks to be found - and the guitar solo is a high-octane shred-fest. The song's energy and guitar presence helps to end the album on a high still, though, and Vega's latest is another strong one. Navigating big line-up changes is never easy, but I think that the band have shown that there is life after the Martin brothers - and this current line-up has taken the heavier cohesion found on Anarchy and Unity and brought it into this new era, and I hope that there is more to come from it.

The album was released on 8th September 2023 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Love to Hate You.