13th August 2025

Review: “Journey to the Sun” by Vanitas

They say that time flies when you’re having fun so it can’t be an understatement to say that the past three years feels like it must have been something of a whirlwind for Midlands based Cinematic DJent pioneers Vanitas. As a band, the five piece have very much been the gift that keeps giving, dropping their self titled EP in the summer of 2022 and not looking back for even a second. That was surrounded by a handful of well received stand alone singles before the waterfall release of sophomore EP “Chaos Theory” in the summer of 2024. A sold out home town EP release show at The Flapper in Birmingham was followed by a tour across the United Kingdom with Warlock A.D. and when they weren’t playing shows they were constantly working on all aspects of the project. Music videos directed by Dark North Media (TrendKill, Zebadiah Crowe, Collapse Of Colour) were flying out the gate with alarming regularity, swiftly followed by behind the scenes footage and cover songs. All of that effort was and still is paying off as they have not only received critical acclaim but traction in terms of those all important statistics. A year later and the band, have given us no less than three advanced singles from their third EP “Journey to the Sun“…

While those first two EPs were mixed and mastered by Matthew Jones of Dakesis at CapsaArx Studios having been recorded by the band themselves, this time out guitarist Mitchell Barlow handles those duties. Jones is still however very much an essential part of the band, an unofficial sixth member, who provides orchestral programming for all their material with Ethan Vega handling the vocal production.

The journey begins with a stunning scene setting introduction piece titled “In Absence of Light“, orchestration building in cinematic fashion before a spoken word passage that flows into spellbinding lead guitars. It’s as if the band have fused together the epic qualities often reserved for Power Metal with their pre-existing Cinematic DJent sound as they push themselves to explore new horizons and everything flows perfectly together. There is no pause or fade as the five piece hit their stride with “Eclipse“, a track that is as powerful an opening cut as you could ever wish for and a real statement piece. The pacing is electric, the polyrhythmic guitars influenced by Periphery delivering tapping moments with a satisfying crunch as guitarist duo Mitchell Barlow and Elijah Storer inflict maximum damage. Matthew Jones orchestrations are perfectly balanced in the mix, so you get the epic majesty they provide without drowning anything else out, something which is utterly crucial. Vocalist Jade Maris embraced unclean vocals with the bands last record and here there is a well worked contrast between the big, arena filling sing-a-long chorus as the harsh verses, the key being the fact that there is absolutely no slow down or loss of intensity to allow for them.

The Progressive Metal influences once again rise to the surface with the delightfully complex guitar introduction to “Lucid Dreams“, another song which captures the bands live energy like lightening in a bottle. Vibrant lead guitars are nothing short of stunning throughout, their rich melodies enhanced by the orchestration and there are so many nuances that unlike Pokémon you simply can’t catch them all. Painting in the space between light and shade, there are little moments that rise to the surface and burst like bubbles in a champagne glass and with each repeated listen something new can be heard. On this one the unclean vocals take more of a back seat with a spoken word part between yet more bold and brave clean vocal passages and the result is something utterly mesmerising.

After the bright lights of “Lucid Dreams” the dark clouds gather overhead as the world is plunged into the perpetual darkness of “Your Demise“. A track that deals with the complex subject of toxic masculinity in the music industry by interweaving person experience with tales from the Time’s Up movement, its one with a soundscape to match the darkness of the subject matter. Sonically more abrasive in the guitars with thunderous percussion and more harsh vocal parts but still packing a groove laden punch this one pushes the envelope of the message with the weight of emotion felt in a powerful vocal performance. Make no mistake, this one really does mean more and while it still has all those trademark elements including beautiful interplay between the orchestrations and guitars so nothing has been sacrificed, you get the impression if they had to do so in order to get the message across, then they would strip it back.

Oriental sounds have fleetingly surfaced in earlier cuts on the record but with “Behind the Mask” they’re incorporated from the very start. Staccato riff breaks follow the soaring opening with weighty power as the song takes shape, the power of the double kick drums and rumbling bass underpinning it all. A beautiful melodic break for some almost choral vocals accompanied by piano is incredible before the blood and thunder of the song resurfaces, a brutal unclean vocal passage arguably the harshest Jade Maris has ever delivered. Again it has to be said that the energy levels are ridiculous, the pace and power helping to make the whole record a truly captivating and immersive experience. Interlude piece “Journey to the Sun” offers up a spoken word over warm orchestration, setting the scene for the grand finale that is “Solaire” which soars like a phoenix from the ashes. Classical piano and majestic vocals are elevated by the DJent fuelled guitars as the adventure plays out, a scintillating solo adding warmth and vibrancy without boiling over into the virtuoso.

Vanitas started strong and yet have grown with each subsequent release, expanding not only their horizons but those of their fans in the process. How they’ve managed to achieve something like this without taking a moment to rest on their laurels and admire their beautiful creations is as mind blowing as this record. Honestly, when you listen to “Journey to the Sun” from front to back, as it was intended, it speaks to the soul and is truly a heart warming experience not to be missed [9/10]

Track Listing