VAST Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
Publicity for April describes this 40-minute CD as Jon Crosby's "acoustic project," which is misleading because April does, in fact, use some electric instruments. But while April doesn't sound truly "unplugged" or truly acoustic-oriented, it is accurate to say that April contains some of the most rootsy and organic-sounding production that VAST has had so far; April sounds electric, but not electronic or high-tech -- and that is a definite departure from some of the industrial and electro-goth production that VAST has favored in the past. The more organic production on April seems to be Crosby's way of saying that, at the end of the day, VAST was always about songcraft more than production gloss or electro-beats. Of course, one could say the same thing about Nine Inch Nails, one of Crosby's main influences; Johnny Cash's willingness to cover Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" speaks volumes about Trent Reznor's songwriting ability, and Crosby doesn't value the art of songcraft any less than Reznor. Drawing on influences ranging from Nine Inch Nails to U2 to Sisters of Mercy, April contains some of Crosby's strongest writing. The Bono-isms on April are hard to miss, but while U2 is ultimately a hopeful, idealistic band (despite dealing with some dark subject matter at times), April is full of brooding, melancholy songs; the fact that Crosby favors a different production style on April doesn't mean that he has let go of goth rock's gloomy influence. And why should he? There is no law stating that music has to be cheerful to have artistic merit. In the past, some of VAST's albums have been described as uneven, but being consistent is not a problem for Crosby on the well-crafted April. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Jon Crosby and his one-man project VAST always seemed like a bizarre fit in the major-label world, so it should not seem surprising that his fourth album is an indie release. What's unusual about Turquoise & Crimson is that this two-disc set was originally released as a pair of download-only albums on Crosby's website starting in 2002. Based largely on fan feedback, Crosby transformed the best of these demos into 2004's Nude. Turquoise & Crimson, then, is a belated official release of the 22 original demos in their unvarnished state; as such, these songs tend to be rawer and more immediate than Crosby's three previous albums (including Nude itself), which tend to polish the rough edges off of his Nine Inch Nails-meets-Echo & the Bunnymen version of industrial mope rock. Here, songs like the epic ballad "Winter in My Heart" are stripped of their sometimes suffocating over-production, and are far stronger for it. Though naysayers will find Crosby's essential weaknesses unchanged -- foremost among them a stentorian vocal style that combines the worst affectations of both Creed's Scott Stapp and Bauhaus' Peter Murphy -- Turquoise & Crimson is essential for VAST fans. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Officially, Nude is VAST's first release in over four years, and his first for the new Carson Daly-affiliated imprint 456. But longtime fans will recognize its tracks as fleshed-out versions of tracks previously issued as Internet-only demos by VAST main brain Jon Crosby. Whereas 2000's Music for People more directly blended Crosby's progressive flourishes with a strident pop voice akin to P.I.L.'s later incarnations, Nude largely retools VAST's self-titled 1998 debut for the new century. Adorned with moody, classicist frescoes and rife with spiritual lyrical imagery, the album echoes with worldly orchestrations and a grave demeanor even as it courts melodic post-grunge rock. It's a bold mix but one that's also problematic. Crosby is a talented producer and arranger, so his faraway vocal choirs and manipulated sound effects have the ability to evoke the unsettling tension that once tinged Coil's dark electronic experiments. Unfortunately, those atmospherics deflate in the face of guitar-heavy modern rock appliqués ("Japanese Fantasy," "I Need to Say Goodbye") or stilted Stain-style soul-searching ("Be With Me"). It becomes a forced hybrid, unable to retain its Dead Can Dance-style austerity amid the broader signature of modern rock. This means songs like "Turquoise" and "Thrown Away" are some of Nude's stronger moments since both rumble with throaty rock pacing but are still tinged with enough bizarre electronic squiggles or processed vocal exotica to be unique. Crosby has never sounded more like Bono than in the lush landscape of "Lost" or over the plaintive piano and treated guitars of "Candle," and the late-album standout "I Can't Say No (To You)" is a respectable run at sensual downtempo electronica. VAST aficionados should certainly enjoy Nude, educated as they are about Crosby's highly stylized approach. But the casual listener might be unsure what to make of the album's baroque, high-concept cocktail. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
'Music for People'
Release Date 9/12/2000
Tracks 12
Label Elektra/Asylum
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
VAST's Jon Crosby is mysteriously alluring -- the dark's scene artistic poet. And on his sophomore release Music for People, he molds his one man show of elaborate classical orchestration and shadowy industrial layers into another enigmatic piece of cathartic wizardry. Music for People is haunting and vividly edged with heavy metal elements and Crosby's somber vocals. It's cutting with Crosby's use of the Bulgarian Voices, his signature chanting backdrops made famous on his debut Visual Auditory Sensory Theater. "What Else Do I Need" and Song Without a Name" showcase the dismal impressionistic view in which Crosby has aimed to create: harmonies so lushly sculptured into a new metal sound. It's not raging, yet it's angst-ridden with bittersweet tongues of love and deception. "The One Alive" is reminiscent of goth-rock's Sisters of Mercy, brooding along to the band's 1985 cut "Marian." "Lady of Dreams" and Free" illustrate Crosby's therapeutic nature. He's oddly similar to Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, for his material appears to be an outlet for his mind's distractions and frustrations. But his compositions do not solely reflect him. Music for People is bizarre and beautiful in capturing social apathy. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
'Visual Audio Sensory Theater'
Release Date 4/28/1998
Tracks 12
Label Elektra/Asylum
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
On the debut album by VAST, titled Visual Audio Sensory Theater, the listener is introduced to the many talents of one Jon Crosby. With its roots in Nine Inch Nails-like soundscapes and reminiscent of Type O Negative's mellower moments, the ingredient that sets VAST apart from its contemporaries is Crosby's experimentation with samples not yet touched upon in rock music. Some of the material sampled on the debut includes the Bulgarian Female Choir and the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of Saint-Mauer, plus the use of an actual 18-piece orchestra, to boot. The album is an intimidating listen the first time, but the rich textures created are quite impressive, with standout tracks being "Here," "Touched," and "Temptation." Lars Ulrich of Metallica has praised the album as "one of the best debut albums I've heard in a long, long time," and lovers of ambient electro-rock will undoubtedly agree upon hearing Visual Audio Sensory Theater. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
