After a handful of EPs and a chaotic, violent introduction to the world via some well-received shows and touring, Boston’s Vein.fm were at a crossroads in late 2017. Set to finally record their debut full-length Errorzone after the band’s hype started reaching a critical mass, their chaotic metalcore/hardcore punk/nu-metal sound could’ve gone many different ways – and some of them could have quelled the hype surrounding Vein.fm in short order. Thankfully, Vein.fm is talented enough that they were able to manage a consistently diverse effort when the album released in 2018, as they immediately skyrocketed to almost every critic’s notice (the ones who weren’t aware of their previous EPs, of course).
To say Vein.fm revels in the chaos on Errorzone is putting it kindly. All over the record, you’ll find various influences that might not seem like they fit at first. Metalcore’s aggression with nu-metal’s emphasis on rhythm? Oh yeah. Occasional singing mixed with DNB influences and the spirit of hardcore punk? Absolutely. Notably, the album moves at a quick pace, clocking in at just under 28 minutes. While the album length doesn’t give enough time for some of Errorzone’s best ideas to manifest themselves more (“Untitled”, “Rebirth Protocol” are both a minute or two too short), that’s not always a bad thing. It also makes sense when you consider the band’s background, rooted in hardcore punk and metalcore.
Errorzone succeeds most when it swings for the fences. Album centerpiece “Doomtech”, which might actually be the band’s signature song, takes up almost 1/6 of the record. However, it’s the fact the song is given room to breathe, which is a key catalyst in making it a live favorite. A bounce riff here, pummeling vocals there, and even well-timed breakdowns make the lengthy track an important one in Vein.fm’s arsenal. It also helps to have a multi-talented vocalist in Anthony DiDio (and guitarist/vocalist Jeremy Martin) to make it all work together.
Errorzone’s strength lies in its unpredictability and dynamic nature. Were this a band that only played breakdown-laden metalcore or chaotic mathcore, the twists and turns that litter the record might not have been executed properly. Opener “Virus://Vibrance” is a great example. One that wastes no time impacting the listener’s cranium, it immediately showcases the band’s electronic and DNB influences. Remember Slipknot’s “Eyeless”? It’s kinda like that for the first 15 seconds – at least until it divebombs into the kind of riff-heavy intensity that makes metalcore money, as the kids say.
Again, chaos and unpredictability do reign supreme on Errorzone. That also extends to the brief moments of melody found on the album. “Untitled” is unfortunately over before you can blink, but Vein.fm throw some great ideas at the listener – the melodies here could have been ripped from Deftones’ Around The Fur. Certainly a high compliment. Even on unrelentingly heavy fare like “End Eternal”, there’s always a left turn to be found – namely the song’s ending “phone breakdown”. Listen to it and you’ll know what I’m referring to.
As they’ve displayed since the release of Errorzone, Vein.fm is a heavy band with a surprising amount of crossover potential. This has as much to do with the scene they grew up in as well as Errorzone’s multi-faceted nature. Taking full advantage of the links and crossover potential that nu-metal, metalcore, and hardcore punk influences can bring together, it’s not a surprise that Errorzone was the record that took Vein.fm to great heights – and it’s also an album that is still leaving its mark on the heavy music scene even now.
