Today, VOLA revealed their pulverizing new single, "Cannibal," which features In Flames’ Anders Fridén on vocals. The song is taken from their upcoming album, 'Friend Of A Phantom,' which will be released on November 1 via Mascot Records. You can watch the official video below, which also features Anders Fridén.
Talking about the song, the band says, "VOLA's music is heavily shaped by melodic death metal, so having Anders Fridén from the legendary In Flames featured on 'Cannibal' is a dream come true for us. We feel truly fortunate and are enormously proud of the result."
Anders Fridén explains how he got involved with the song, saying, "I have been a fan of VOLA since their first album. They are constantly evolving and, to me, are one of the most interesting bands out right now." He continues, "During the recording of our last album, I had the opportunity to meet the band and witness an incredible show at The Troubadour in LA. Cut to a few months later, I was approached if I would be interested in being on a song for their next album. It was a yes without hesitation. It's an honor to be part of this monster of a song. Bang your head if you know what's good for you!"
VOLA elaborated on how the collaboration and song came about: "When we toured North America in the fall of 2023, Anders and Björnfrom In Flames attended our concert at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. They came backstage before the show to chat with us, and it turned out they were big fans of the band. Quite a surreal experience, given that In Flames have played a huge part in forming our musical DNA. When we came home from the tour, we dug deep into recording 'Friend Of A Phantom', and during that process, we began discussing whether "Cannibal" would benefit from having guest vocals. We all agreed that having some really powerful screams in there would elevate the song, and having just created a bond with Anders meant that it was the easiest decision in the world to ask him if he wanted to be a part of the track. Anders quickly said yes to participate, and eventually, he both recorded vocals and came to Denmark to shoot the video with us. We were thrilled, to say the least!"
The song marries the euphoric and epic but complex and crushing sound that has become distinctively VOLA with a visually stunning video to accompany the song. "Working with Vertigo and Riivata Visuals on the music video was incredible,” they add. “We filmed the video in a gigantic hall in Denmark, with plenty of big lights and lasers, including a large triangle light at the back of the hall. To top it all off, Anders came to Denmark to join us and be part of the video. It was a fantastic experience, and the footage captured the heavy side of VOLA in its essence."
They have already released three singles from the album. "Paper Wolf" sees an old-school metal atmosphere creep into their blend of sounds. "Break My Lying Tongue" offers a deep dive into themes of misalignment and emotional vulnerability, whereas the most recent single, “I Don't Know How We Got Here”, interweaves stories about tragic events in society with a story about a relationship slowly dying out. "It seeks to portray the feeling of disbelief that follows when something valuable vanishes right in front of us," explains Asger Mygind.
It has been three years since the release of VOLA's defining album, 'Witness.' They've since wrapped up two tours of the US with several venues upgraded due to overwhelming demand, as well as sold-out shows in New York, L.A., and Chicago. Their first tour of Canada resulted in sold-out shows in Toronto and Montreal, and they rounded off the continent with triumphant South American shows in Mexico, Brazil, and a sold-out show in Chile. The Danish-Swedish quartet - Asger Mygind (vocals/guitar), Martin Werner (keys), Nicolai Mogensen (bass), and Adam Janzi (drums) - are now to set free their fourth studio album. Their strength has always been combining a multitude of ideas within a single song, packing it in with a grandiose power that can be as ferocious as it can be delicate.
