Growth is something that is simply mandatory for any band looking to make their mark. Whether that mark is upon its listeners or the genre at large, it takes something exceptional to deliver one performance after another that defies typical notions and keeps people guessing as to what exactly is going to come next. That often means shifting your sound even if it’s only slightly, and that’s a tricky task in of itself that only the finest are able to tackle and execute with precision and majesty. Having made their mark upon the scene and its listeners already, Vokonis is poised to do truly monolithic things given the right opportunity. With their newest creation, Vokonis has made its move with masterful delivery.

Having made their claim known through colorful albums that have given us a solid variety of stoner and doom metal notions with more than little progressive leanings as the discography grew, Vokonis knew exactly how to show their sonic evolution in such a way that feels satisfying and nigh-on captivating to bear witness to. Where some bands might make such a wild pivot in a single album, it’s over the years that Vokonis has given us an organic transition into what they are today to make “Transitions” itself symbolic for its obvious title and all that it embodies for Vokonis itself. A deluge of riffs that can effortlessly give way to dense passages of progressive musicianship that is balanced masterfully with the doom and stoner rock elements that Vokonis have always been known for with this particular concoction exceedingly potent and downright intoxicating in essence. Without so much as breaking a sweat, “Transitions” is an expansive creation that encompasses the absolute entirety of what Vokonis has become known for up to now with practically every given facet of the record standing out as something to behold from the album’s cover art to the very production to the dynamic vocals that immediately elevate the already-magnificent instruments to another realm of glory altogether.

The rise of Vokonis has been obvious and undeniable to those paying attention, and yet it’s with everything that’s been brought to the table for “Transitions” that Vokonis finds itself taking that last big step into tapping into that otherworldly splendor they’ve always hinted at. This is the kind of act that cult fanbases swirl around, and Vokonis more than fits that bills. “Transitions” is a bold creation that hits on all the right notes for this particular corner of the genre, and incredibly few others could ever hope to come close to what’s been accomplished here.

LISTEN to “Transitions” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Vokonis on Facebook here.