Minneapolis’ VIAL magically met each other through a Tinder post in 2019, brought together by a shared love of 90’s punk, indie, and grunge. Launching into their home scene with their debut Grow Up they quickly became local favorites with everyone from The Current to Music In Minnesota. Signing to LA’s Get Better Records in 2021, their follow up full length, Loudmouth, was an evolution of their indie-pop and alt-rock beginnings but began to hint at other leanings, especially in the tracks Ego Death and the fan-favorite Piss Punk. A little less reflection on the past and a little more anger at the future.
Even though their third release, Burnout, retained the whimsy, the fiercer side of things kept creeping in. Tales of betrayal and teen drama were also being matched by a hardness reflective of our fractured society.
With their 4th record, HELLHOUND, the gloves have come completely off. There’s a wee trace of the jovial in the LP’s title track/interlude but the rest of the record is one shredder after another – deceit, revenge, frustration and vitriol are nailed incessantly into the tracks from start to finish. Produced by Martin Cooke (Death Cab For Cutie, Of Monsters And Men, Destroy Boys), the LP is a powerhouse that draws from vintage punk, classic metal and all in between. Anyone who’s crossed them is a target and asking to get cut. First single CREEP SMOOTHIE pulls no punches in calling out disrespect from the worst kinds of men and would-be’s alike. IDLE HANDS channels the rage inward. Overall the record is a culmination of influences and experience and an explosive chapter in VIAL’s life.
Behind everything they do is an underlying dedication to causes ranging from gender equality and abortion rights to supporting indigenous arts and refugee aid. The band constantly helps on a material level, funneling income directly to these groups. Many artists pay lip service to making the world a better place. VIAL put their money where their mouths are and their steel toes where the sun don’t shine.
