Few debut albums arrive with the weight of experience behind them quite like Out of the Darkness, the electrifying first full-length from Vultures of Culture. A band forged in the solitude of the pandemic, their sound is anything but isolated—it’s a roaring blend of alternative rock, power pop, and old-school heavy metal, delivered with a confidence that suggests they’ve been at this far longer than their official tenure.
Guided by the steady hand of Sponge guitarist and producer Andy Patalan, Out of the Darkness is both a declaration and a revival, paying homage to the past while planting its flag firmly in the now. The record pulses with the energy of bands like Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver, and Incubus, but with a sharp, modern edge. Each track carries its own distinct weight, from the snarling riffage of “Jolie” (a 20-year-old time capsule of celebrity obsession that still rings true today) to the full-throttle catharsis of “Severed Effervescence,” a chilling, Nirvana-tinged tale of a friendship doomed by a serial killer’s twisted affection.
Where many bands would falter under the weight of their influences, Vultures of Culture lean into them with an unapologetic smirk. “Please Don’t Sue Us, Dave Grohl” is an audacious, meta love letter to the Foo Fighters, constructed from song titles and riffs like an inside joke between seasoned rockers and their heroes. Meanwhile, “New World Calamity” channels the existential dread of the pandemic into a thunderous, call-to-arms anthem, while “Hatful of Hollow” sprinkles Smiths references over shimmering, hook-laden optimism.
At its core, Out of the Darkness is an album about persistence, about dragging yourself forward when the world is caving in. Nowhere is this more evident than on “The Veil,” the seven-minute, Sabbath-esque closer that serves as a devastating tribute to a lost friend. Heavy in every sense, it’s the kind of song that lingers, the kind that proves Vultures of Culture are more than just another rock band—they’re storytellers with something to say.
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With Out of the Darkness, Vultures of Culture don’t just emerge—they soar. And if this is just the beginning, rock fans better brace themselves for what’s next.
