MUSIC REVIEW: Vie Jester, Cognisense

Vie Jester is a legitimately fantastic name, unlike some other bands with terrible names. This group reminds me stylistically of Stone Temple Pilots, Seether or Chevelle. Its meaning is buried in some sort of omnipresent inside-joke or some Latin-inspired ‘no one will find this out’ kind of thing. My guess? An orchestration of jesters; a ‘dance’ of jesters, if you will.

Vie Jester is a trio fronted by vocalist and guitarist Kyle Edward Guererro, with Cliff Conway on drums and femme force fatale, Angie V. Gonzalez. Their status as a trio keeps songs sounding a lot more stripped than they would otherwise be on their three-song Cognisense EP. That additional guitar line adds a really thick heartiness to the sound, something that Vie Jester lacks. Not that this is a bad thing. As a matter of fact, it can be a massive strength, something Rush learned all the way back in 1970. You can hear the labyrinthine guitar work of Guererro, where he ebbs and flows his instrumentation over coarse drum play. His riffs are monstrous. ‘Players of Paradox’ is almost solely made on the largeness of that guitar line. It is an ever-dominating presence, and even when Guererro lifts his vocals up a bit perhaps in an attempt to give that side of the music a little of the spotlight, the guitar pulsates underneath, a force that can never be relinquished.

I hate to stick to the guitar for so long, but there is another really consuming thing going on here. Many bands of this type (the hard/melodic rock angle) will generally fit into a cohesive and inducing formula. It is the big rock riff that opens the song, followed by the rhythmic steady chugging verse, and the big arena rock hook. I yawned. You yawned. It is just a snooze fest all around, especially over the course of a full-length album.

Vie Jester is saved by the gripping guitar work, and the verses are not accentuated with simple straight lines but riveting ups and downs and pace-changing dynamics. The time signature isn't necessarily changing every time, but you feel like Vie Jester are really performing something they believe in and attempting to stylistically continue the engagement.

‘Humanity’ is the best expression of this idea. The guitar weaves and dances acrobatically through the verse and the chorus and that magnificent bridge. It all blends together to form one excellent song, as opposed to the verse being just another reason to get to the hook.

As a listener, you feel captivated to what this guitar will do next. Like an unpredictable jester, scanning the room and immediately deciding what awkwardly obtuse and exhilarating bit act he will perform next. It is the greatest crowning aspect of the group. Guererro’s vocals are reticent and fitting. He has this raspy voice he brings out at the most opportune times, such as that absolutely unreal closing minute of ‘Players of Paradox.’ It is these small touches (as well as the BIG ones) that make the group’s EP such an enthralling little adventure.

The drumming is also noteworthy. It makes the group’s closing track ‘Humanity’ a sullen and atmospheric presence. The drumming is serviceable when it needs to be, acting as a worthwhile complement to the show-stealing guitar lines.

Vie Jester works excellently in this three song format, but it will be interesting to see if the band can keep the energy and intrigue for a full show or album without exhausting their palette.

#Turntable