VRSTY - Levitate [CD]

VRSTY (pronounced "Varsity") makes music as energetic and richly diverse as the city that spawned them. Assembled by band leader Joey Tyler, a Puerto Rican singer from New York City raised on R&B, pop, and Spanish music and equally inspired by metallic post-hardcore, VRSTY blends genres with fearless ambition and visceral enthusiasm. A handful of EPs preceded 2020's debut album, Welcome Home, itself followed by a three-part series of sequel EPs solidifying the band's reputation. The band (comprised of guitarist Paul Gregory, bassist Javier Dorrejo, drummer Chris Cody, and Tyler) specializes in what Kerrang! Described as "endless grooves and danceable parts, punctuated by breakdowns and completed with dark atmosphere." Genuine authenticity and uncompromising passion are crucial to everything about VRSTY. Levitate, the band's stunning sophomore set, is powered by spirited conviction and a commitment to follow their muse wherever it leads. It's an album of rich melodic hooks and headbang-inducing grooves. Tyler co-produced Levitate with Justin Deblieck (Ice Nine Kills, Motionless In White, Lorna Shore, Fit For A King) with George Lever (Sleep Token, Holding Absence, Loathe) handled mixing duties. VRSTY commands the crowd anytime they perform, connecting with anyone who struggles with feelings of low self-worth, bad relationships, or generally feels like an outsider. It's a feeling of shared community evident on the band's tours with the likes of 10 Years, Nonpoint, Secrets, and For The Fallen Dreams, among others. Ultimately, VRSTY aims to encourage, provoke, and inspire listeners.