Finally got a spare hour to sit down with the headphones and really listen to Vended's sophomore album. The influences are plain to see. At points I was transported back to '99 - the riffs, the production, the subtle reliance on the 'vocal hooks' that are the underpinning of the musical stylings of their parental figures.
It would be a hard gig to 'improve' upon or stray far from the path of what you have grown up listening to and is inevitably in your blood. I feel it's a similar deal for listeners as we tend to find comfort in the familiar. The spot where we just lose ourselves in the chaos surrounding us because it just feels right.
My 2c = Not bad. Would listen again. Recommend you do to.