Metal Matters

Although the Northwest Arkansas metal scene has ebbed and flowed over the years, Page Townsley believes 2012 is poised to be a good year.

“We’re kind of on an uptick right now,” says Townsley, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for VORE, which formed in 1994.

The current state of the metal scene has been captured on a new recording, a 12-inch vinyl album that will be released tonight at the Smoke & Barrel Tavern in Fayetteville.

The album, assembled by Art Amiss, is another example of the art collective focusing on a specific genre at one time.

Tonight’s album release show features live sets by three bands - VORE, Potions and Lightbulb Detective Agency.

VORE’s contribution is the song “Doomwhore,” a track also found on the band’s latest recording, “Gravehammer,” which was released late last year.

“Doomwhore,” like the other tracks on “Gravehammer,” was recorded with Doug Horton at Ozark Film and Video Productions in Springdale.

“Gravehammer,” the newest of VORE’s four recordings, features advancements not found in previous works, but the group’s aesthetic remains. VORE’s sound is best described as ominous or foreboding.

“We write heavy riffs and try to be as heavy as we can,” says Townsley, who has performed in metal bands in Northwest Arkansas for about 23 years. “(Modern metal) is about speed and technique.

We’ve never subscribed to that.”

Which doesn’t mean the newest VORE album is void of technical merit or speed. In fact, Townsley says the bandselected “Doomwhore” for the Art Amiss compilation in part because it shows how versatile VORE can be. It starts slow, then surges forward with a double-picked speed riff before simmering down again.

Reaction to “Gravehammer” has been very strong, Townsley says. Two German labels have contacted the band about a possible deal, according to the vocalist.

The band will continue, deal or no deal, as it has for the past 18 years. In the meantime, the band members are securing passports just in case.