The Von - ei8ht

The Von

​ei8ht
self-released; 2015

3.6 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

The Von comprised Luis Bonilla (vocals/bass), Marek Schneider (guitar) and Elisa Seda (drums) is a rock band from Florida that recently released ei8ht. I doubt it’s a coincidence that the album has eight songs. The production quality and recording quality is top notch as the band dabbles into various sub-genres, which include prog rand garage rock. All the songs have a forward moving kinetic energy that makes the album go by quickly.

First up is “Nothing To Fear” which has a slight Queens of the Stone Age vibe. I love myself a distorted bass and the bass on this track has a great tone. The vocal melody is catchy and the guitar work is often inventive with some impressive lead work along the way. Around the two- minute-mark the band opens up and displays their versatility. Melodic guitar picking leads into an aggressive transition in which you can feel the band has their pulse on the pacing and energy of the track.

“Cry of War” which was a highlight comes right out of the gate with a lot of energy and doesn’t quit. The band tastefully implements arpeggiated synth halfway through and Bonilla flexes his technical muscles with a bass line that hits just about every note.

“Love Supreme” contains more of that high octane energy coupled with a chugging bass line while “Atomic Sun” is one of the most emotionally resonant songs on the album which has a number of transitions that take advantage of switching up time. As the album progresses the band digs deeper into the sound created with “Let it Out” and the title track.

Ei8ht is a fluid album that feels relatively seamless from beginning to end. There aren’t too many surprises along the way but it is consistently solid in terms of songwriting and delivery. I have to admit I wasn’t a huge fan of Bonilla’s vocal style, upon first listen, but I started to warm up on the second spin. 

Overall, Ei8ht should be appreciated by most fans of rock in that it's slightly off-kilter but also manages to hit all the criteria we usually look for when listening to the genre.

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