Providence-based psychedelic space punks The Viennagram are what a band playing on Halloween should be all about.
Frontman and drummer AV Vienna looks like a screwy amalgamation of Vincent Price and vintage Elvis Presley, busy up on stage spouting out ghoulish lyrics. Keyboardist Scott Peloquin and bassist Chip Pietraszek do backing vocals like a couple of munchkins from hell (the Wizard Of Oz kind, not the donut hole) with high pitches and slight shrieks. It’s only fitting that they’ll be releasing their new EP Land Of The Freak at The Columbus Theatre in Providence on All Hallows’ Eve with the synth-minded Beta Motel and Triangle Forest.
The Viennagram push the boundaries of their unique abilities with their upcoming release, which you can preview below via special teaser on the Bandcamp. Shifting towards more electronics with hints of darkwave, the trio brings a certain pizzazz and polish to an already haunting sound. Vienna gets downright scary on the mic, his vocal range goes from sounding like a crazed maniac to a soul singer in an instant. There are also certain orchestral tones and even a little bit of a Middle Eastern influence as well. The Viennagram pull off the incredible by being all over the place structurally and having a groovy tone with each track.
Kicking it all off is the instrumental “UFO Watch”, a sci-fi themed track that’ll give you visions of aliens invading Earth in epic fashion. Peloquin is a huge presence with his brand of frightful suspense on the keys. The spooky “Horror Sheik” is bound to give you chills, diving into a slightly crazed chorus to take you on a rhythmic ride. “Step Outside The Magic Circle” is the most diverse track on the EP. The first minute has a symphony orchestra flowing into a beat that brings a bit of an old school hip-hop in the background. An intriguing jam is “Unicorn Bones” by having a slight ’80s pop essence that makes it stand part from everything else.
You can grab the physical copy of Land Of The Freak at the Columbus tomorrow night, right in the middle of all the Halloween craziness. Here’s a sneak peak of the sonic madness.
Featured photo by Jess Pohl via Jimmy’s Saloon
