▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Vertigo Steps ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Surface/Light █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2012 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2013-06-23 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Ethereal Sound Works ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ SURFACE / LIGHT, the latest full length from █ █ PortugalÆs Vertigo Steps could possibly be the █ █ heaviest record of the year thatÆs not really a █ █ heavy record. If that sounds like a perplexing █ █ statement, IÆll fast forward to the credits and █ █ encourage you to hear it for yourself. But if you █ █ need more of a reason to do so, IÆll continue on. █ █ Conceptually the band is in the same frame of mind █ █ as evidenced on 2010Æs underrated and wholly █ █ excellent THE MELANCHOLY HOUR, but theyÆve made █ █ sizable strides in terms of execution. Bruno A and █ █ company continue on their musical journey through █ █ progressive, dark, and ambient metal territories, █ █ but SURFACE / LIGHT has a consistency in █ █ presentation and a more organic veneer to it that █ █ pushes the album from good to great. Much like █ █ recent work from Katatonia and Amorphis, Vertigo █ █ Steps have achieved a Zen like balance between █ █ atmosphere, melody, and heaviness. And before you █ █ take my initial statement to task, yes, there are █ █ plenty of powerful, edgy moments across SURFACE / █ █ LIGHT. But thereÆs a pervasive serenity that █ █ cascades across the albumÆs 12 tracks that █ █ punctuates those moments articulately █ █ But letÆs talk songs shall we? There are some █ █ spectacular mood altering moments like ôThe █ █ Hollow,ö ôRailroadsö ôHelsinki,ö and ôThe █ █ Porcupine Dilemma,ö but itÆ songs like ôSilent █ █ Bliss,ö ôTonight I Die,ö ôZeppelin on Fireö that █ █ really define Vertigo StepsÆ mission statement. █ █ They maintain that level of captivating ambience █ █ while conveying a punchy sense of urgency that █ █ resonates strongly. The performances on the █ █ SURFACE / LIGHT arenÆt flashy or self indulgent, █ █ but thereÆs always a variety of different █ █ instruments and arrangements at play that add a █ █ texture of complexity to the songs. It adds a nice █ █ level of replay value, given the odds that youÆll █ █ hear something you may have missed on previous █ █ listens. █ █ SURFACE / LIGHT is best experienced from start to █ █ finish, as each tune compliments the next and █ █ provides for a complete listening experience. But █ █ pick out any track on the album and chances are █ █ that youÆll find something captivating about it. █ █ With SURFACE / LIGHT, Vertigo Steps continues to █ █ prove themselves to be one of the best bands that █ █ you should be listening to. Check out their █ █ website for samples and purchase info. █ █ █ █ http://www.etherealsoundworks.com/index.php?112,ve █ █ rtigo-steps-surface-light-(special-edition) █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ CD 1/3 : ░ ░ 1. Vertigo Dawn 1:53 ░ ░ 2. The Hollow 4:35 ░ ░ 3. Silent Bliss 3:51 ░ ░ 4. Railroads of Life 4:26 ░ ░ 5. Tonight I Died, Tomorrow I'll Live 4:06 ░ ░ 6. Doppler Defect 4:07 ░ ░ 7. Dissapear Here 4:50 ░ ░ 8. Helsinki 5:05 ░ ░ 9. Someone (Like You) 4:09 ░ ░ 10. Zeppelin on Fire 4:10 ░ ░ 11. Schadenfreude 3:55 ░ ░ 12. Nothing at All 4:35 ░ ░ 13. The Porcupine Dilemma 5:16 ░ ░ ░ ░ CD 2/3 : ░ ░ 1. The Spider & The Weaving 5:08 ░ ░ 2. Vacant Stare 5:06 ░ ░ 3. Desperation Lair 4:27 ░ ░ 4. Inhale 6:08 ░ ░ 5. Silentground 5:35 ░ ░ 6. Under Burning Waters 4:20 ░ ░ 7. Reel World 5:25 ░ ░ 8. Through Sham Lenses 4:01 ░ ░ 9. Red Haze 4:32 ░ ░ 10. Redemption River, Dividing Ocean 5:15 ░ ░ 11. Sweet, Sweet Rain 4:23 ░ ░ 12. Burial Light 2:25 ░ ░ ░ ░ CD 3/3 : ░ ░ 1. Steps to Vertigo (In.through) 2:53 ░ ░ 2. Vultures in My Dying Bed 4:01 ░ ░ 3. The Swarming Process 4:55 ░ ░ 4. Fire Eaters 4:03 ░ ░ 5. Serpent's Irony 4:53 ░ ░ 6. Scarheart 5:05 ░ ░ 7. The Gruesome Smile 8:06 ░ ░ 8. Pain Inc. 2:33 ░ ░ 9. I of the Storm 7:30 ░ ░ 10. Synapse 6:04 ░ ░ ░ ░ 161:46 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░