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Vertigo Steps

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Released: Mar 15, 2012
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General Info

  • Genre: Ambient / Metal / Rock

    Location Suomi, Po

    Profile Views: 67864

    Last Login: 4/12/2013

    Member Since 9/22/2007

    Website facebook.com/vertigosteps

    Record Label Ethereal Sound Works

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    Welcome aboard the ..Vertigo Steps.. universe... Founded by Bruno A. on the demanding heels of the ..Arcane Wisdom.. years and his other projects, set to engage on a special and untimely aural endeavor, assembling together the most diverse, intensely challenging and downright drenching efforts. .. Forged in September 2007 e.v., Vertigo Steps saw dim light predominantly as a studio project, Bruno A. handling composition and lyrics, but for the ambitious debut venture 7 eminent guests left their scar of vertigo, carefully handpicked for their various areas of expertise and unique attitude towards the music. Making it a trans-European affair, with inspiring musicians from Finland, Norway and naturally, Portugal. Core members are the duo of ..Bruno A.../ ..Niko Mankinen.., with ..Daniel Cardoso.. joining in for rhythm section. Plus the renowned guests. .. ..VS I... self-titled.... Vertigo Steps recorded its first full-length album .."Vertigo Steps".. in March/April 2008, mixed & mastered at ..UltraSoundStudios.. (Braga, Portugal) by Daniel Cardoso (mandatory choice for the helm). The 10 songs formed an ever emotional melting pot of ideas gathered in the former years (including "I of the Storm", a track from the AW ghost sessions as well as state of the art compositions such as "The Swarming Process" or "The Gruesome Smile"). .."Vertigo Steps".. also featured an orchestral-laden overture and an instrumental interlude, seamlessly shifting moods between full-on Melancholy Metal catharsis, demented groove assaults and textured, orchestrated ambiance. The album is also vaguely, unassumingly conceptual and with a certain soundtrack feel. Lyrics dealt with pain, dreams, reality, projections, ill-hidden secrets, mind-disease, decadence & departure. Songs underlined raw emotion over technique. Artwork to suit them. The album enjoyed huge media praise - some of it can be read below. A special video was shot for single .."Fire Eaters".., earning great praise and wide TV broadcast.. ..VS II... the melancholy hour.... Chapter II .."The Melancholy Hour".. started to take shape since the dawn of 2009, with new all-too-addictive compositions for the sophomore release. Recording took place in April/May 2010 at ..UltraSoundStudios.. (Moita, Portugal), with master Daniel Cardoso (again producer & drummer). Two inspiring studio-webisodes were shared and the band worked with the same talented artist for the artwork. .. The sound is rockier, progressive and more solid and memorable than ever: expect more than a few surprises on a truly unique effort and quite a leap and landmark for the band... 12 new tracks, including a cover of "Sweet, Sweet Rain" (Gene Loves Jezebel)! Special vocal guests include the likes of ..Jules Näveri.. and ..Stein R Sordal... An extended, high-quality making-of documentary is in the making, entitled .."Trough Sham Lenses - The Melancholy Hour Sessions".., to be part of a future special edition of the album, as well as a video for the first single... Now that you're aboard, do leave your intentionally offensive praise & step into the Vertigo avalanche. .. ..BAND CONTACT .. (for old junk and playmobiles): .. E-mail: ..vertigosteps@gmail.com.. .. Facebook: ..www.facebook.com/vertigosteps .. .. YouTube: ..www.youtube.com/vertigosteps.. .. "... there is always something lurking in the corners of your mind, in the steepness of your kind, the girl with the stabwounds behind..." .. in .. The Gruesome Smile.. (Mental note for the less wise: senseless/ huge self-promotion "comments" will be Deleted and marked as Spam - you're welcome! You are killing MySpace - confine pub to YourSpace) .. .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .... .. .. .. .. .. .................... .. .. .. .. .. .. ....

  • Members

    .... .. BRUNO A .. :: music & guitars; keys, loops & sampling, words, mind-jerking .. .. .... ..NIKO MANKINEN .. :: vocals, words.. .... ..DANIEL CARDOSO .. :: drums, bass, backing vocals .. feat.:.. ..STEIN ROGER SORDAL .. (Green Carnation, Angels Motel) :: guest vocals .. ..JULES NÄVERI .. (Insomnium, Enemy of the Sun, Profane Omen) :: guest vocals on "The Melancholy Hour".. ..SOPHIE .. (Understream) :: guest vocals .. .. RUI VIEGAS .. (A Story of Dust, Arcane Wisdom) :: guest vocals .. former guests: ..ALEXANDRE RIBEIRO .. (Andérsen Molière, Grog):: fretless bass on "Vertigo Steps" .. ..ANDRÉ L VASCONCELOS .. (Arcane Wisdom) :: guest vocals on "Vertigo Steps"..

  • Influences

    Desolation & a dollar. Insanity & corn flake disposals. Orgasms & anti-climaxes. The Handicap Groove Orchestra playing Melancholy Metal for loose-trailers and persistent toe-gazers. Sheer unhealthiness: we are a million pieces... ..DISCOGRAPHY..: .. ........ ..The Melancholy Hour ..(2010).. 01 :: The Spider & The Weaving 02 :: Vacant Stare 03 :: Desperation Lair 04 :: INhale 05 :: Silentground 06 :: Under Burning Waters 07 :: Reel World 08 :: Through Sham Lenses 09 :: Red Haze 10 :: Redemption River, Dividing Ocean 11 :: Sweet, Sweet Rain (bonus) 12 :: Burial Light .. ........ ..Vertigo Steps ..(2008) .. 01 :: Steps To Vertigo (In Through) 02 :: Vultures In My Dying Bed 03 :: The Swarming Process 04 :: Fire Eaters 05 :: Serpent's Irony 06 :: Scarheart 07 :: The Gruesome Smile 08 :: Pain Inc. 09 :: I Of The Storm 10 :: Synapse (Sleepwalking Metaphorms)

  • Sounds Like

    "Discovery of the month! What a peerless debut! A disarming occlusion of a musical year" .. Lords of Metal .. .. "a pretty ambitious debut that achieves all it sets out to, and then some. Everything is touched upon here, with the band retaining a unique identity... " ..Avantgarde Metal.. .. "Dark yet not quite sinister, Vertigo Steps are on the verge of brilliance" .. The Metal Forge .. .. "lovely album of Dark Progressive Metal which could be associated to the last Katatonia releases for example... a great start definitely!" ..Metal Storm .... "With an excellent sounding CD, both song and sound, it is hard to believe that this band is not an actual signed recording act. Vertigo Steps are THAT good and they won't be unsigned for long." .. Sea of Tranquillity .... "Writing all the music and handling the guitars and keyboard, Bruno's talent is impressive... the songwriting here is very solid and the vocal performance of N. Mankinen very cool" ..Metal Rules .... "after few listenings it went to my brain as a uraniumhead bullet leaving just steming braincells. VS isn't the kind of music you can categorize easily with a word or two. I liked it, a lot" .. Imperiumi .... "Instead we are left with what should be a glimpse into a realm where the music has "feeling", instead of being soullessly blurted out at you through your speakers" .. Chronicles of Chaos .... "V. S. also has offered a many non-metal traces on its s/t album, but the complete final picture will absolutely satisfy potential listeners population" ..Rock Serbia .... "Toda a exigência de Bruno resultou em um trabalho bem elegante e emocional. Há uma linha melancólica que consegue manter a importante coesão. A voz do finlandês Niko Mankinen é muito bonita e complementa perfeitamente a quase depressiva proposta do grupo .. Whiplash ...." "uma boa surpresa, não só pela forma súbita como se manifestou, mas principalmente pela qualidade final resultante dessa aparição. Uma excelente estreia" ..A Trompa .... "por casmurrice, genialidade ou as duas coisas - resultou num dos melhores discos que o metal/rock de combustão emotiva viu aparecer nos últimos tempos em Portugal" ..Loud! .... "Peso, balanço e muita melodia marcam a música do projecto. Um grande disco a surgir no panorama Underground nacional. Um nome a ter em conta no futuro" ..Fénix .... "um trabalho multi-facetado, pintado nas mais diversas texturas e negras ambiências e de grande qualidade artística" ..The Bronze Age .... "a ricerca di atmosfere in grado di trasmettere un messaggio emozionale forte e distinto fa da sfondo alla felice alternanza tra metal freddo e malinconico, post rock gloom e retaggi progressive" ..Dagheisha ..

Biography

Welcome aboard the Vertigo Steps universe...


Founded by Bruno A. on the heels of the Arcane Wisdom years, set to engage on an untimely aural endeavour, assembling together the most diverse, intensely challenging and downright drenching effort: Vertigo Steps is born.


Forged in September 2007 e.v., Vertigo Steps saw dim light predominantly as a studio project, Bruno A. handling composition and lyrics, but for the ambitious debut venture 7 guests left their scar, carefully handpicked for their various areas of expertise and unique attitude towards the music. Making it a cross-European affair, with inspiring musicians from Finland, Norway, Sweden and naturally, Portugal. Core members are the duo of Bruno A./ Niko Mankinen, with Daniel Cardoso (Anathema, Anneke, Head Control System, etc.) joining in for rhythm section and production. Plus the renowned guests.


VS I... self-titled


Vertigo Steps recorded its first full-length album “Vertigo Steps” in March/April 2008, mixed & mastered at UltraSound Studios (Braga, Portugal) by Daniel Cardoso (mandatory choice for the helm). The 10 songs formed an ever emotional melting pot of ideas gathered in the former years (including "I of the Storm", a track from the Arcane Wisdom sessions as well as state of the art compositions such as "The Swarming Process" or "The Gruesome Smile"). "Vertigo Steps" also featured an orchestral-laden overture and an instrumental interlude, seamlessly shifting moods between full-on Melancholy Metal catharsis, demented groove assaults and textured, orchestrated ambiance.

The album was also vaguely conceptual and with a certain soundtrack feel. Lyrics dealt with pain, dreams, reality, projections, ill-hidden secrets, mind-disease, decadence & departure. Songs underlined raw emotion over technique. Artwork to suit them. It enjoyed huge media praise - some of it can be read below. A special video was shot for single "Fire Eaters", again earning great feedback and wide TV broadcast.


VS II... the melancholy hour


Chapter II "The Melancholy Hour" started to take shape since the dawn of 2009, with new compelling and addictive compositions for a sophomore release. Recording took place in April/May 2010 at UltraSound Studios (Moita, Portugal), with master Daniel Cardoso (again producer & drummer). Two inspiring studio-webisodes were shared and the band worked with the same talented artist for the artwork.


The sound was rockier, progressive and more solid and memorable than ever, with more than a few surprises on a truly unique effort and quite a leap and landmark for the band... 12 tracks, including a cover of "Sweet Sweet Rain" (Gene Loves Jezebel)! Special vocal guests included the likes of Jules Näveri and Stein R Sordal. A highly praised videoclip has been released for the song "INhale", as well as a studio episode. The band also won a pre-nomination for MTV EMA - BEST PORTUGUESE ACT and have been enjoying radio/media highlights, broadcast and interviews.


VS III... surface/ light


While the sophomore album made its way through audiences and media, VS returned to composing on October 2010. And an incredibly fertile period ensued, with up to 13 tracks being accomplished as of March. The songs delve deeper in crafting a unique sound, still with traces of metal and many a rock groove but progressing further away into new, unnamed territories. Songs are shorter, some quite direct and all relying heavily on ambience, trademark melancholy and mesmerizingly memorable melody lines, with more post-rock and ambient slowly creeping in. A dark luminosity and cinema everywhere - the path has been found, now more than ever.

The vocal guest list is top class, featuring unique talents such as Jan Transit, Patrik Karlsson and again Stein R Sordal. The band hit UltraSound Studios with Daniel Cardoso in late September and the album was ready by early December. Without a shadow of the doubt, the best VS album ever... A video was shot in January for "someone (like you)", by a norwegian artist and band fan, once again highly praised for its originality and aesthetics. The presentation EP "sublight, the album "surface /light" and the special edition of the latter, featuring all three VS albums, were released by Ethereal Sound Works in April 2012. Follow all news and do leave us you thoughts via Facebook or MySpace


Now that you're aboard, do leave your intentionally offensive praise & step into the Vertigo avalanche.


BAND CONTACT (for old junk and playmobiles):

e-MAIL: ..vertigosteps@gmail.com..


"... there is always something lurking in the corners of your mind, in the steepness of your kind, the girl with the stabwounds behind..." in The Gruesome Smile


(Mental note for the less wise: senseless self-promotion "comments" will be Deleted and marked as Spam - you're welcome! You are killing MySpace - confine pub to YourSpace)

Discography


surface / light (2012) Ethereal Sound Works
01 :: vertigo dawn
02 :: the hollow ****
03 :: silent bliss
04 :: railroads of life *, ****
05 :: tonight I died, tomorrow I'll live **
06 :: doppler defect
07 :: disappear here
08 :: helsinki
09 :: someone (like you)
10 :: zeppelin on fire
11 :: schadenfreude ****
12 :: nothing at all ***
13 :: the porcupine dilemma **


* feat. Jan Transit
** feat. Patrik Karlsson
*** feat. Stein Roger Sordal
**** feat. Sophie

Note: the Limited Digipak Edition of the album also includes the 2 previous Vertigo Steps full-lengths.

sublight EP (2012) Ethereal Sound Works
01 :: silent bliss
02 :: someone (like you)
03 :: nothing at all
videoclips:
01 :: someone (like you) *
02 :: INhale **
03 :: fire eaters **

* directed by Sigurd Svidal Randal
** directed by Luís Guerreiro


The Melancholy Hour (2010) CD Baby
01 :: The Spider & The Weaving
02 :: Vacant Stare
03 :: Desperation Lair *
04 :: INhale ***
05 :: Silentground *, ***
06 :: Under Burning Waters ***
07 :: Reel World ****
08 :: Through Sham Lenses **
09 :: Red Haze
10 :: Redemption River, Dividing Ocean ***
11 :: Sweet Sweet Rain (bonus)
12 :: Burial Light


* feat. Jules Näveri
** feat. Stein Roger Sordal
*** feat. Sophie
**** feat. Daniel Cardoso

Vertigo Steps (2008) CD Baby
01 :: Steps To Vertigo (In Through) ***
02 :: Vultures In My Dying Bed ****
03 :: The Swarming Process***
04 :: Fire Eaters
05 :: Serpent's Irony ***
06 :: Scarheart **
07 :: The Gruesome Smile **, ****
08 :: Pain Inc.
09 :: I Of The Storm ****
10 :: Synapse (Sleepwalking Metaphorms) *

* feat. Stein Roger Sordal
** feat. Daniel Cardoso
*** feat. Sophie
**** feat. Rui Viegas & André Vasconcelos

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The Vertigo Crew


BRUNO A :: music & guitars; keys, loops & sampling, words, mind-jerking


NIKO MANKINEN :: vocals, words


DANIEL CARDOSO :: drums, bass, backing vocals


feat. guest vocals by:

JAN TRANSIT (In The Woods..., Transit)

STEIN ROGER SORDAL (Green Carnation, Sordal, Angels Motel)

PATRIK KARLSSON (This Haven)

SOPHIE (Ugarit)


former guests:

JULES NÄVERI (Insomnium, Enemy of the Sun, Profane Omen) :: vocals

ALEXANDRE RIBEIRO (Andérsen Molière, Grog):: fretless bass

RUI VIEGAS (Arcane Wisdom) :: vocals, flute

ANDRÉ L VASCONCELOS (Arcane Wisdom) :: vocals

Random Media Praise

on "surface / light":

"SURFACE / LIGHT could possibly be the heaviest record of the year that’s not really a heavy record. Much like recent work from Katatonia and Amorphis, Vertigo Steps have achieved a Zen like balance between atmosphere, melody, and heaviness. With SURFACE / LIGHT, Vertigo Steps continues to prove themselves to be one of the best bands that you should be listening to."
Metal Rules

"Surrendered! I am totally surrendered to "Surface / Light". It's not the usual manner to start a review like this, yet it's the one that best describes the mixture of sensations that run through me while listening to the new Vertigo Steps. It's a superb record. A record where any superlative adjective has the risk of sounding scarce. I'm absolutely surrendered. And that's it."
Som Eterno

"In the end, Surface/Light is one of those albums where you see a band take a giant step forward, like the In Absentia and Light Of Day, Day Of Darkness of this world, only to the scale of Vertigo Steps, of course. This is possibly one of the defining moments of their career where they finally put their indelible stamp on the songs and find their musical nirvana, as it were. (9/10)"
Metal Storm

"One stands genuinely impressed by the chorus found in the strong 'Doppler Effect', the Katatonia-at-its-peak of 'Disappear Here' or 'Zeppelin On Fire' and the absolute cohesion of 'Silent Bliss. Surface/Light is a meticulously written record that is executed with total professionalism and class"
Bravewords

"The album is an enterprising and formidable release which brings essences of rock, metal, and progressive rock into a compulsive sky of melancholic atmospheres and warm emotive clouds that stir and incite the emotions. It is a tremendous example of songwriting. It is a statement of far reaching atmospheres brought from the melding of heavy and stirring sounds with emotive and ardent dark to light feelings by the band."
RingMaster

"This two man project from Portugal and Finland deliver what is probably one the best Atmospheric Rock / Post-Rock releases of 2012. Combining elements of bands like Katatonia, Anathema (newer stuff), Porcupine Tree with some more ‘mainstream’ Post-Rock/Atmospheric Rock influences, Vertigo Steps manages to create a lush and ethereal sounding tracks unlike any other band we’ve heard recently.(8.8/10)"
Infernal Masquerade

"The thirteen songs offer you nearly an hour delicious, melancholic rock music that will surely appeal to fans of current Anathema, Porcupine Tree and Green Carnation. A nice example of international efforts!"
Lords of Metal

on "THE MELANCHOLY HOUR":

"THE MELANCHOLY HOUR is a great album. It’s musically challenging without sounding bloated, self confident without sounding pretentious. It hits all the right points and maintains its focus throughout the duration. Potentially a sleeper hit of 2010, VS is a band worth becoming familiar with. "
Metal Rules

"It is still the melodic lines that these guys come up with that makes this band. More mature, engagingly catchy and sonically superb, VS' The Melancholy Hour is a fine follow up release to a great debut. "
Sea of Tranquility

"a cohesive, respectable and mature work of melodic and melancholic rock/metal, with a highly personal touch and a very clear idea of its capacities and musical personality (...) a cohesive whole, surprisingly fresh and varied, more than enough to please fans of Green Carnation and Katatonia (9/10)"
Loud!

"The Melancholy Hour" does not spare on catchy melodies and choruses but fortunately there is much more content than that. One is forced to wonder aloud how the band is yet unsigned"
Desibeli

"Ultimately, The Melancholy Hour proves that the self-titled album Vertigo Steps wasn't a work of beginner's luck or a momentary flow of creativity. The quality is there. Granted, the singer may be Finnish, but V.S. is one of the most creative Portuguese bands of today. (8.5/10) "
Metal Storm

"A música deste segundo álbum é de uma qualidade e consistência deslumbrantes. Ouvir temas como “Inhale”, “Reel World”, “Through Sham Lenses”, “Silentground” e “Burial Light” resulta numa viagem por emoções e experiências fantásticas, tal a intensidade da música de VS."
Crónicas do Som Eterno

"Guitarras acústicas, pianos, groove, passagens atmosféricas, momentos introspectivos, subtis elementos electrónicos e até uma ligeira aproximação ao pop são recursos que perfeitamente integrados com passagens muito heavy e batidas fortes fazem deste The Melancholy Hour uma inesquecível experiência sensorial."
Via Nocturna

"A produção é superior, mas será, em grande parte, na inteligente malha de arranjos que aqui se verifica que este resulta num disco tão cheio, brioso, versátil e com tanto por descobrir ao longo de incontáveis audições (8,8/10)"
Soundzone

on "VERTIGO STEPS":

"Discovery of the month! What a peerless debut! A disarming occlusion of a musical year"
Lords of Metal

"a pretty ambitious debut that achieves all it sets out to, and then some. Everything is touched upon here, with the band retaining a unique identity"
Avantgarde Metal

"Dark yet not quite sinister, VS are on the verge of brilliance"
The Metal Forge

"lovely album of Dark Progressive Metal which could be associated to the last Katatonia releases for example... a great start definitely!"
Metal Storm

"With an excellent sounding CD, it is hard to believe that this band is not an actual signed recording act. VS are THAT good and they won't be unsigned for long."
Sea of Tranquillity

"Writing all the music and handling the guitars and keyboard, Bruno’s talent is impressive... the songwriting very solid and the vocal performance of N. Mankinen very cool"
Metal Rules

"it went to my brain as a uranium bullet leaving just steming brain cells. VS isn't the kind of music you can categorize easily with a word or two. I liked it, a lot"
Imperiumi

"Instead we are left with what should be a glimpse into a realm where the music has "feeling", instead of being soullessly blurted out at you through your speakers"
Chronicles of Chaos

"A exigência de Bruno resultou em um trabalho bem elegante e emocional. Há uma linha melancólica que mantém a coesão e voz do finlandês Niko Mankinen é muito bonita e complementa perfeitamente a proposta"
Whiplash

"um dos melhores discos que o metal/rock de combustão emotiva viu aparecer nos últimos tempos!"
Loud!

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