Release date: March 6th
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve properly reviewed something (I think I posted one actual review last year?!) so with that in mind, I have decided it’s time to get back in the saddle and get back into it – and what better way to start than with a release that has swiftly become one of my favourite releases of the year already? This is Voluntas Rex by Will King.
To say that this is a mighty debut is somewhat of an understatement. Five tracks of brain-meltingly good music, this is an EP that you will keep wanting to come back to over and over again. What I particularly love is the care that has been taken to put the songs in a way that really divides the release up nicely and helps it to flow so beautifully – the first half has the big hooks and instant hits, the middle has a sing-along stunner of a song, and the second half has the slow burners that will get under your skin.
RING RUST gets things off to a running start, and swiftly shows just how versatile of a singer King really is before you can even so much blink. With brutal screams, stunning cleans and even some half-yelled, half-growled raps in the first minute alone, there’s a lot to process and even though there’s a lot going on, it all flows perfectly from one moment to the next and everything has its place, and the transition from this track into the following one Samsara is so clean it practically feels like it is one song. With an absolutely massive sounding chorus, this is the earworm of the EP and I can absolutely guarantee it will be stuck in your head after a mere few listens.
Sat beautifully in the middle of Voluntas Rex is my personal favourite of the EP, everything u want. I don’t really like throwing the word ‘perfection’ about, but I honestly believe that this track is up there. I’d heard RING RUST and Samsara when they first dropped and had dug them – but this was the song that truly made me stop and pay full attention (and indeed, eagerly await the release of the final two songs!) A purely melodic number, it is just so emotive and is a truly moving vocal performance – the first time I heard it, I was brought to tears and when a song does that to you, that’s how you know it’s something special. If you only listen to one song on this EP, make sure it’s this one.
The final two tracks of the EP, Out For Me and Porcelain, didn’t immediately grab me – but honestly, I don’t think they were supposed to. Like mentioned earlier, these two feel more like ‘slow burners’, the songs you’re meant to listen to closely and in detail in order to fully understand them. The lyrics are deep, the instrumentation smooth and controlled, and before you know it, everything is completely under your skin before the EP comes to an absolutely triumphant close. This is not just a collection of songs – this is art.
One thing I found really cool about Voluntas Rex is seeing comments from others saying what their favourite tracks were. I’ve seen every track described as someone’s favourite, and that’s how you know this truly is a high quality release. There isn’t a single filler track on this EP, with each song contributing its own thing, and it really makes for a truly satisfying listen as a result. This is a special piece of work – and I’m already hungry for more!
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