On the debut album by
VAST, titled
Visual Audio Sensory Theater, the listener is introduced to the many talents of one Jon Crosby. With it's roots in
Nine Inch Nails-like soundscapes and reminiscent of
Type O Negative's mellower moments, the ingredient that sets
VAST apart from it's 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, Cleraux, 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. [The Japanese edition of
Visual Audio Sensory Theater contains bonus tracks.] ~ Greg Prato