Vanishing Kids: Heavy Dreamer

Visions, flashbacks, prophecies, divinations of the beyond.

Sorcery, art and magic, theatre and poetry—and an elusive line between fantasy and reality—blend together in Madison’s best-kept secret, the Vanishing Kids.

      Champions of the Midwest underground, Vanishing Kids are finally on the verge of revealing themselves to the world. And, like any good magicians, Vanishing Kids' spell is immediate, but does not ever truly wear off.

Beginning as a progressive and art rock outfit nearly two decades ago, Vanishing Kids have evolved their hypnotic synth-infused sound on countless local stages and beyond, supporting thunderous headliners like Ruby the Hatchet and The Skull. Within the last four years however, the group has taken a heavy twist that is leaving audiences and review communities alike completely stunned.

Heavy Dreamer is the heaviest installment from the four-piece psychedelic outfit yet—while still offering the soaring, spacey lucidity of inner flight. Heavy Dreamer is a prolific odyssey that meanders through textures of the often haunting and sublime depths of our subconscious, immaculately illustrated through the stunning cover art by Dariah Lazatova above. The lush tones of vocalist/keyboardist Nikki Drohomyreky brings the word ethereal to mind: ‘extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.’ Channeling the otherworldly, the surreal, and the unknown, Nikki revives the 60's psychedelic spirit led by Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane—but taken to a whole new level. Dark Wave and progressive rock combine into a swirling dimension of its own, sometimes reaching the massive crescendos of heavy metal organist, Jon Lord of Deep Purple.

Underneath these cosmic shades of vapory ether, guitarist Jason Hartman (Jex Thoth) releases earth-shaking expansive tones that hearken to a vintage 70s-style wall of fuzz and dense blankets of doomy psych. One single chord is joined by symphonic layers of oozing sound that glide and sink into each other, merging, diverging, and brew into an epic climax—while soulful harmonies rise dreamily above. Using a seismic tone of his own, Vanishing Kids are joined by heavy Midwest legend, bassist Jerry Sofran (Lethal Heathen, Mirrored Image). Solidifying the group with unfaltering attention to dynamic is the percussive force of Hart Allan Miller (Deathwish, Wartorn). One thing is certain, when combined: these musicians are a serious creative force to match. 

Vanishing Kids ask the ultimate questions through their music: is it possible to connect to realms beyond our own? Are dreams and memories realities in themselves? Where will our spirits arrive next? Sensations of premonitions, astral visions, and subtle out of body experiences are common results of watching the band perform live. However, now given the executive treatment by the genre’s guru and mastering godfather Brad Boatright (Sleep, Pentagram, YOB), we are finally able to capture the same enigmatic essence, power, and sensory-overload experience that permeates their live sound. And like many other bands that Brad produces, Vanishing Kids will soon be joining the global pantheon of psychedelic rock and heavy doom. As the weeks drew on, I found myself listening to the album more than expected, realizing that its hypnotic powers continue like an unstoppable charm—burrowing itself between the dense rationality of the waking world, and the strange, astral domain of dream.

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The album will be released November 30th and can be pre-ordered from Svart Records, or purchased from the band's Bandcamp when finally unleashed upon the cosmos.