UK alt-metal upstarts VEXED announce new album, stream new single

One of the UK’s most exciting new talents – the alt-metal outfit VEXED – will release their hotly-anticipated new record Negative Energy on 23rd June via Napalm Records.

Bursting onto the scene with their highly-lauded 2021 debut, the crushing Hertfordshire trio depicts the violence they’ve gathered since their first release. A soundtrack of brutality – chaotic, traumatic, and based on the band’s most gruelling personal experiences.

Crushing new single ‘Anti-Fetish’ is the first harbinger of Negative Energy, which you can stream here:

Stream ‘Anti-Fetish’ here: https://lnk.to/VEXED-NegativeEnergy

Pre-order the album here: https://lnk.to/VEXED-NegativeEnergy/napalmrecords

The huge new track Fearless breaks in with an all-consuming, panic-stricken lead riff, making a stand against lazy comparisons, and hate in the music business. Blistering with disorderly intensity, VEXED doesn’t mince words with pure honesty and all-consuming instrumental strength.

The band commented on the new single: “We wanted to start with a huge riff and a strong message. ‘Anti-Fetish’ is us confronting the constant comparisons and ungrounded hate that bands receive. It’s become completely accepted in the scene to cross the line of constructive criticism and just dive bomb into hatred and prejudice. This song is us setting the record straight by calling out the blatant discrimination.”

Negative Energy is the pinnacle of VEXED‘s musicianship, with gripping, profound and brave lyricism. Instead of opting for the forced positivity many of their contemporaries demonstrate, the Hertfordshire trio channel every ounce of their Negative Energy into these 13 tracks – recharging themselves for an uphill battle.

The band commented: “We are so proud to present to you our second album. Since our first release, we have each endured traumatic experiences, surrounded by death, betrayal, pain, and grief. In order to find any strength, we first had to accept that we weren’t okay, then take our trauma and face it head on, sharing our vulnerability, fears, and weaknesses. Instead of forcing ourselves to try and be positive, we put all our negative energy into the album in order to begin our own repair and to overcome.”

VEXED are:

Megan Targett – Vocals
Jay Bacon – Guitar
Willem Mason-Geraghty – Drums

 

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VEXED formed in 2019, consisting of vocalist Megan Targett, guitarist Jay Bacon, drummer Willem Mason-Geraghty and bassist Al Harper. The band quickly made a name for themselves across the UK metal scene with their hard-hitting sound and dynamic live performances.

Turning heads with their debut singles – including the fearsome ‘Elite’ featuring Thy Art Is Murder’s CJ McMahon – VEXED quickly created a palpable underground buzz. In 2020, they signed with the independent label Napalm Records, and released their debut full-length album, Culling Culture in May the following year.

Culling Culture features ten tracks that showcase VEXED‘s signature sound, which combines punishing breakdowns, technical guitar riffs, and Megan Targett‘s fierce vocals. The album’s lyrics explore themes of societal issues such as mental health and social justice and have been praised for their honesty and relatability.
 
The album was a commercial success and received widespread critical acclaim. VEXED‘s live shows have also garnered a reputation for being intense and energetic, with the band earning support slots with notable acts such as Spiritbox and In Flames, among others.
 
Now VEXED look to their second album, to be released 23rd June via Napalm Records. A punishing listen, from haunting intro track ‘PTSD’, which sets the stage of dread ahead of the carnage to come, all the way through ‘Lay down your flowers’ featuring Alpha Wolf vocalist Lochie Keogh and intense finale ‘Nepotism’.

Like the best bands, VEXED on Negative Energy blends fury with emotion. ‘Default’ displays lead singer Megan Targett‘s high-soaring clean vocals juxtaposed against her menacing deep growls, while the album’s most emotional offering, ‘It’s Not The End’, serves as a magnificent dedication to a loved one passing away, truly manifesting their legacy.

A stunning, devastating musical conduit – Negative Energy ventilates VEXED‘s pain-stricken burdens and breathes life into their fresh approach, delivered with a thunderous vengeance.

Track listing:

1. PTSD
2. Anti-Fetish
3. We don’t talk about it
4. X my <3 (Hope to die)
5. Panic attack
6. Lay down your flowers
7. There’s no place like home
8. Extremist
9. Default
10. Trauma Euphoria
11. It’s not the end
12. DMT
13. Nepotism