Music Review: Chris Volz - Redemption

I was asked to give Chris Volz' debut release a listen and, while interest was piqued, I had to claim ignorance of who Chris Volz was or why I should care. Come to find out, he was the vocal leader of Flaw and five.bolt.main. I've heard of Flaw;I even own one of their CDs. So, I agreed.

Once Redemption arrived I gave it a spin and found a compelling, if not great outing for a budding singer/songwriter in the rock world. Generally, when I see the singer/songwriter tag it is invariably a style I don't cotton to well. Not to say I don't like any of it, I just find my tastes angle more towards the hard rock and metal end of the spectrum.  What is different about this release is Chris Volz has a track record in the rock world and it bleeds through on this debut solo recording.

After taking a listen to Redemption I went and dug up my Flaw album, their debut Through the Eyes. I cannot remember the last time I gave Flaw a spin, and as soon as I did I realized why. It isn't bad, but it isn't all that good either. Flaw's sound is similar to Disturbed when Believe hit. It has that nu-metalish tinge that seemed to infect everything at that time to the point the music became stale and boring. Needless to say, I never got the second Flaw disk, nor have I heard anything from five.bolt.main. But back to Chris Volz.

Redemption is good, catchy, and very listenable. It is considerably stronger than that initial Flaw release. Since this is a solo album, Volz did not have to take his music or his lyrics through the committee of a band. This is likely a blessing and a curse.

Having more pure control over your songs will allow you to put more of your heart and soul into the music (not that a band cannot promote heartfelt music, but it is a vastly different dynamic). These songs have that personal feeling. Chris Volz has poured himself into these songs, and his voice proves that. I mentioned that this is a curse as well, and this album proves that too. When you work solo, you have fewer people to tell you when your work may not be up to snuff. Some of the lyrics sound a little silly, more surface than substance. Still, he makes it all work for him.

Article Author: Chris Beaumont

Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about music and movies when he isn't indulging in them. He is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Follow: Twitter and Tumblr. Visit: Critical Outcast. …

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