Bolting straight out the gate with triple j airplay, Hobart’s Verticoli have served up new single ‘Free Will’, the blistering title track from their EP to be released December 1. With support slots under their belt for the likes of British India, DZ Deathrays, Cog, Kingswood and more, Verticoli follow-up their own previous headline tours with hometown launch shows to see out 2017.
Australia has produced some of the world’s most progressive artists and the Tassie three-piece are the latest to contribute to this honoured lineage. From their unique melodies, to their unconventional structures and thought-provoking lyrics, Verticoli are a literal alternative band of the highest order: the sound they create is theirs, and theirs alone.
Enlisting the services of heavyweight sonic masters Jake Long (Red Planet Studios) and Forrester Savell (Karnivool, Dead Letter Circus), Verticoli have sculpted Free Will into a thing of beauty. Layering powerful riffs and soaring vocals over the top of monstrous rhythms; each song is built on strong, simple foundations from which the band wield an impressive musical dexterity.
Opening with its blistering title track (and first single) Free Will doesn’t waste a moment in announcing the band’s intentions… the drums are huge, the bass is huge, the guitars are huge, and the vocals are huge. Track two, the hypnotic Dominant, is no less impressive, maintaining the opening barrage at a more smouldering pace. Even in their mellowest moments, such as the enveloping groove of Amsterdam, Verticoli never lose intensity. Yet, even within their most complex passages, the fill the stereo field with catchy, larger than life hooks.
As the EP reaches the crushing finale of God, there is very little left undefined about Verticoli. What they are doing is masterfully precise. As a trio, each member is utterly indispensable; making an equally important contribution to the sound and dynamic of the band. Free Will is the joint musical achievement of drummer Thomas Norman, bassist Luis Fantarella and singer/guitarist Sam Hunn – three distinctly individual players meeting in perfect synchrony.
Following on from their 2015 debut album Punching Bag, Free Will marks a distinct step forward in Verticoli’s evolution. From their home in the beautiful city of Hobart, the trio have developed into a formidable live act, ready to tour Australia and beyond. With this focus, Free Will inks the next chapter of Verticoli, who look set to ascend the ranks of Australia’s already impressive alternative rock family.
Free Will EP is out December 1 via all good digital retailers (pre-order)
Free Will single out now
Spotify | iTunes/Apple Music | Google Music
Free Will EP Launch Shows
Friday December 15 – Club54, Launceston (FB Event)
Saturday December 16 – The Grand Poobah, Hobart (FB Event)
