Send "Vanna " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Absolutepunk |
 Vanna is one of those bands that is consistently releasing superb material but they always seem to fly under the radar. Their new EP The Honest Hearts will hopefully bring them some much deserved attention. Recently Vanna's front man from their previous two releases, Curses and A New Hope, Chris Preece has left the band. Vanna listeners have come to know his voice as a major part of the band but in every dark cloud there is a silver lining. Preece's replacement is Davey Muise (formerly of Seeker Destroyer) and he is a welcome addition to the band. He may sound different then Preece but he can shred his vocal chords with the best of them. The album kicks off with the bouncy intro of "Lost and Bound". The song is a real showcase for Vanna. The new screams of Davey and the clean vocals of Evan Pharmakis really compliment each other well. Absolutely no complaints on this one. The second track on the EP is "Sending Vessels". The beginning is very heavy and melodic. The song some interesting guitar work that shows throughout the song. Near the end of the song Davey unleashes some high screeches which is a change from the screams and growls. The chant at the end of the song is very haunting, "So send this vessel out to sea, I'm not the ship I used to be". The last new song on the album is "Passerby". There is more singing on this song then on the previous two but it still sounds great. The song is great and it goes to show that even with Davey in the band they haven't stopped their excellent song writing....full text |
| Livemusicguide |
| The Boston, Mass. post-hardcore group, Vanna, released their debut EP on Artery Recordings on Tuesday, Oct. 12. The new EP titled The Honest Hearts is the band’s fourth EP, first on the new label. Vanna joined the newly formed Artery Recordings (Chelsea Grin, Attila) in August. Before the move they were with Epitaph for several years, releasing two studio albums and one EP. After their 2009 EP release of A New Hope, and touring on the Vans Warped Tour, Vanna has become a nationwide name. This new EP is the debut of screamer Davey Muise in Vanna. Many fans were weary of the switch, stating that the previous vocalist, Chris Preece, left large shoes to fill. However, just in the first track of The Honest Hearts, Muise proves he isn’t messing around. “Lost And Bound” could possibly be the strongest track on the album. The guitar riffs and vocals are true and honest. Both Nicholas Lambert and Evan Pharmakis on guitar prove they are anchors for the band’s sound (and also the founding members). Pharmakis’ clean vocals do not disappoint, either. In the second track of the album, Vanna’s drummer, Chris Campbell, duos well with bassist Shawn Marquis. The two of them set up a killer, heavy beat for the duration of the track. Without these two, the band would not, could not, be as amazing as they are proving themselves to be. The first released single off the EP is “Passersby.” Davey and Evan are truly showcased in this track. Chris sets up a heavy beat to support the vocals and they fall right into place....full text |
| Sputnikmusic |
| 2010 has been an incredibly successful year for Vanna, having being on Warped Tour, headlining crowded local and regional shows, making a name for themselves in the saturated 'core' scene, and withstanding member changes. However does The Honest Hearts EP match this success? In short, its an undisputed yes. First thing to be noted is that the album is not over-produced. Which for me personally brings me closer to liking this band due to the fact they've never been in any top ten lists in my head and are devoid of any real "HOLY CRAP!" moments. Heres something for people who might not understand what I'm saying about production lack: Imagine going to see your favorite band live and going "Hey! Thats not what they sound like on the album" this phenomenon is due to the fact many bands mask themselves in production. This release is essentially a "what you see is what you get" if you plan to see them live, this is likely what you'll hear. This may turn off some listeners with allegations of "No, this is a result of rushing" but I remember a day when production was not the cats meow. Instrumentally, they are doing not much different from the A New Hope release, they in my opinion are doing it much better. They still have the driving, erratic guitars that dip between melodic playing and breakdowns and solid drumming. The new vocalist, formerly of the now dead Seeker Destroyer is finding a new career in Vanna and is not half bad, although some may have a problem transitioning from Chris to Davey. The actual singing by Evan has remained the same since ANH with little improvement, however his voice is one I would regard as good anyways. The only issue I still have is that the Bass is really hard to hear even for 'core standards and is fully heard in a short bit on "Sounding Vessels"....full text |
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