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“THE Edge Festival is proving to be a delight for music fans of all types. And one hidden gem in the pack managed to spark a mini earthquake in Edinburgh. Vertis, a band gathering much momentum, blasted their way into the hearts of more fans with a collection of rock tracks that would blow anyone’s socks off. With a deft display of guitar riffs and a diamond vocalist not dissimilar to a hairy Alan Cumming,Vertis shook the ground with their unique brand of Scottish rock; Without You a clear favourite with the fans, and a potential chart topper. Keep an eye out for these guys – but wear your hard hat.” News of the World Vertis are a fledgling alternative rock trio who follow a great tradition of pioneering Dunfermline rock exports, including Nazareth, The Skids and Big Country to name check a few. One of the other interesting things about the band is that they’ve only been in existence a hair’s breadth longer than a year. The result of the band’s Biffy Clyro-meets-Buffalo Tom-meets-QOTSA melange is a unique and exciting sound that is accessible and catchy. This trio have been gaining momentum since rave reviews at The Edge Festival. Building on the bands raucous live gigs at Edinburgh staples Sneaky Pete’s, Bannerman’s, The Ark and Whistlebinkies as well as further afield, Vertis are a band taking confident strides forward. Hot on the trail of a series of buzz-generating gigs, Vertis release their debut EP “In My Defence”, which hints at early Smashing Pumpkins (circa Gish). See Through This sets the tone for the rest of this short player with its heavy dynamic shifts between catchy riffs and driving power chords. Without You is the first of three meandering 5 minute epics, which give Gilliland-Patterson the chance to show off his kickin’ guitar solos over the band’s trademark amped-up rock and his own grinding vocals. Injection is another Pumpkin-esque track which combines the mellow and rocking side of Vertis before building into an explosive, cathartic climax. In My Defence kicks off with another infectious riff over Ed Kozac’s impressive kinesthetic beat and Stott’s surging bass, which helps to cultivate the hard-rockers signature sound. |
