Vaults of Zin

By Christopher Mosley
August 30th, 2011 4:40pm

Nobody would ever accuse local prog band Vaults of Zin of taking the easy way out. Though that pass-less-traveled philosophy is common with acts that have the patience to write and perform technical progressive metal music, some of the band’s other endeavors border on overachieving. With its members having had such various enriching experiences as studying composition (keyboardist and composer Stephen Lucas; composer, bassist, and occasional vocalist Shane Hutchinson; and composer, writer, and guitarist Greg Dixon have all attended The UNT College Of Music) or making Denton a valuable destination for extreme experimental music (multimedia artist, noise musician, and drummer, House of Tinnitus‘ Rob Buttrum), this is an extremely cultured and well-rounded group.

Of the three that have an actual music school background—two members (Lucas and Dixon) will be getting their Ph.D’s in music. Both members, Dixon formerly and Lucas currently, have also worked at UNT’s Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia (CEMI). Again, the collective pedigree of this band extends far beyond the usual “grumpy sound-person” or “angry barista,” and that’s meant with sympathy and affection.

It’s not often in researching a group that I run across a piece of music journalism by one of its own members. Rarer still is when the subject, knowledge presented, and interview itself are all more interesting than just about anything I see published in any local paper. Vaults of Zin-guitarist and violinist Greg Dixon conducted an interview with Skin Graft Records-founder Mark Fischer last year, and if you’re unaware, Skin Graft is the famed Chicago “comic book company that happens to put out records,” according to the history section on the label’s website. The piece is so informative and engaging that I would actually read it on my own volition, rather than some locally associated piece of curio. The interview was posted on music site Perfect Sound Forever, one of the longest running web-based zines that has actually been posting material since the astonishingly early web year of 1993. I have fond memories of finding material there as a youngster, however I do wish that the site didn’t have to look like it was still 1993, excellent content aside.

But back to Dixon’s band, Vaults of Zin’s particular style of prog rock has been a meticulous undertaking and was slow-going early on. When I spoke to group member Rob Buttrum by phone last week he told me just how slow. Buttrum says it took “around two years” to create the music heard on the group’s debut self-titled album, which they had a release show forlast week. What makes the timeline interesting, is that there are only four songs on the recording, and yet it clocks in at 25 minutes.

Each track spirals and unwinds in a way that never loses the listener’s attention, ranging from short syncopated rhythmic bursts to full-on virtuoso explosiveness that screams “you couldn’t play this in a million years” without coming off as cocky. I hate to earn the band any would-be challengers to a duel, but every player is quite acrobatic to say the least.

Equally taxing was the artwork, since each disc looks different from the next and they are all hand-painted by the group. Lucas handled the inserts, while Buttrum handled the actual compact disc art, and basically each member has a hand in the visual presentation as much as the music. You’ll have a chance see that artwork and hear Vaults of Zin at their show tonight, as part of Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios’ free week event. The disc should also be available soon at Mad World Records and Recycled Books.

Vaults of Zin/Pygmy Shrews/Vaz (Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios): Show is free. Presented by Parade of Flesh. - D Magazine