Do you remember the first time you came across a particular song with a kind of voice that resonated and broadened your view on music? I know I do. It propelled me to follow a path that ignited a passion so deep for music, it forged the foundation for my hobbies and friendships. Discovering different types of music and bands such as Vended has become a lifestyle.
As an “elder emo” or “elder goth” (as we alternative music fans in our 30’s and over are being called by the youth of today) I had the opportunity to encounter many of the pioneering acts of the heavy metal music scene of the mid 90’s as a youngin myself. As I got older, I explored different genres as most of us do and by the time I was a junior in high-school I became obsessed with recording music videos on my VCR off of Fuse (Mistress Juliya from Uranium and Steve’s Untitled Rock Show for the win).
On one of those primitive video recording days, I encountered Slipknot’s video for “Duality.” The power I heard in Corey Taylor’s voice was something that I had yet to encounter and “Duality” quickly became one of my favorite songs, if not, my favorite Slipknot song to date.
Many artists have come and gone, my playlists have evolved with the ebb and flow of time. Then out of nowhere, I was hit in the ears with a familiar yet new voice while perusing my FYP page on my latest fixation, TikTok.
Yes. You read that correctly, TikTok.
This app has an uncanny ability to get to know you better than your best friends, possibly better than you know yourself, and while it’s sometimes creepy, the accuracy is also appreciated. What I encountered in that video were other folks in my age group reacting to the new generation of metal heads, Vended.
If you’re not familiar with this band, then you are surely missing out.
Vended is the brainchild of vocalist Griffin Taylor, lead guitarist Cole Espeland, rhythm guitarist Connor Grodzicki, drummer Simon Crahan, and bassist Jeremiah Pugh. If any of those names seem familiar to you it would be because Griffin Taylor is none other than Corey Taylor’s son and Simon Crahan is Slipknot’s drummer M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan’s son. The ferocity in Vended’s music has united the metal scene from past and present.
Vended is brutal and powerful. They have undoubtedly carved a name for themselves with their new single, “Asylum” and took Knotfest by storm during their performance. The commentary on their YouTube channel is some of the most supportive I’ve read in this scene and rightfully so. The people are excited and invested in the progression of this band. The vocals, the instrumentalization, and their stage presence is all their own and has guaranteed that rock is indeed not dead. I know for a fact that many from all around will be saving and replaying Vended’s music on their playlists. Just like I once did with my VHS’.
The band will be doing a US fall tour throughout November with the support of Omerta and Hazing Over. The tour will hit the following cities:
Nov. 9 – Nashville, TN – The End
Nov. 10 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen
Nov. 11 – Cleveland, OH – Mahall’s
Nov. 12 – Fort Wayne, IN – Stan’s Room
Nov. 13 – Pontiac, MI – The Pike Room
Nov. 14 – Pittsburgh, PA – Crafthouse Stage & Grill
Nov. 16 – Reading, PA – Reverb
Nov. 17 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club
Nov. 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus
Nov. 19 – Albany, NY – Empire Underground
Nov. 20 – Hartford, CT – Webster Underground
Nov. 21 – Boston, MA – Sonia
Nov. 23 – Buffalo, NY – Rec Room
The Podcast That Rocked which aired on 10/5/2021 discusses the upcoming talent that is Vended. Make sure to check it out on YouTube.
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