Long before I set my sights spinning the steampunk song selections many know me for, I have always had my ear to the ground, listening for musicians and songs to help me fill that niche. So, while the term steampunk was fairly new, I looked to the world of music, and one name popped up on all the lists – Vernian Process.

 

Joshua A. Pfeiffer, the founder of Vernian Process, was the first to blatantly call his music steampunk. He composed and made available Behold the Machine as a free pre-release download in 2009, then reworked the album for two more years. Pfeiffer worked with Martin Irigoyen and then again with Peter Zarate, and the rest of the band composed of talented musicians who love the sounds of cogs grinding and hammers on steel as much as the instruments they play. “It took about four years to completely finish,” says Josh, “but that was two years working on it as a solo act, and two years revising all of the songs, and re-arranging everything properly with Martin’s assistance. Basically, it’s the bridge between all three phases of the band.”

 

Fast forward to now with the fully produced Behold the Machine for general release, and you will clearly hear Josh’s words ring true. “It was constantly evolving up until mere days before mastering, when we finally felt our creation was ready to be unleashed upon the world,” says Peter of the final work. For the review, I shook the digital dust off the old pre-release download and then listened to the works side by side to give myself a starting point so I could hear the progression of the band from one man to a full six-piece ensemble.

 

When I say dust, I mean to disclose that for all the hype I found on the band, I was never really impressed by the pre-release of Behold. As someone who has never been fond of the Goth industrial scenes and, as someone whose love of steampunk did not equate to the old joke of brown-loving Goths, I found the pre-release to be lacking. The original album I listened to lacked excitement for me. It reminded me too much of the darkwave and synthpop songs I’d hear when I was dragged to an industrial night at some club, kicking and screaming. As such, I will simply say I was not expecting too much from the full release, but the promise of a full band piqued my curiosity.

 

I am pleased to say that the final album has a richer sound compared to the pre-release. It refined the concepts within the compositions and brought them fresh depth and clarity that far exceeded my hopes. It is clear that although many of the songs remained intact, the contribution from the other artists who are now part of Vernian Process made these songs far more accessible to those who don’t normally give industrial music a fair shake. It was that mere fullness of sound that made me thoroughly enjoy the album.

 

The “unleashed” release makes Behold the Machine a fully realized work by a group of very talented musicians. There are layers of those sounds we steampunks so love to hear – hammers, steam whistles, harpsichords, and the like – but the root of the music still clings firmly to that darkwave, or steamwave sound the band has used from time to time. The album also blends an array of musical influences, such as the African themes heard in the “Queen of the Delta” track, nods to the silent film ear with their take on the “Maple Leaf Rag,” and in the case of the “Maiden Voyage,” a sweeping foray into an orchestrated soundtrack of a time that never was. There were two songs not on the full release, though the one I actually missed was “Her Clockwork Heart,” namely due to the featured musical stylings of Erica “Unwoman” Mulkey. The band explained the missing track by saying that “we wanted to rewrite and re-record much of the song, and it didn’t quite fit the theme we were aiming for with this particular album,” which made sense to me. The other missing song, “I am the Sea” was replaced with a new song, “The Exile,” and although the song was dark and depressing, it is probably the best example of the new direction of the band’s sound.

 

The songs I felt were most palatable on the pre-release were “Behold the Machine,” “Unhallowed Metropolis,” “The Last Express,” and “The Curse of Whitechapel.” I feel those songs functioned best and, especially more so now with their full renderings. The songs were all improved significantly and have even given me some ideas for a macabre steampunk event I may try and put together. But this is how I get that inspiration; good music made by good artists makes me want to share it with those who are willing to put up with my tastes. But, if you were to request a darkwave or Goth song when I spin, I will tell you right now I’ll be reaching for one of those four songs before any other.

 

All in all, from concept to final release, I feel it was a successful endeavor, and although I would not recommend it to those who aren’t fond of the darker sound – to those that are, I think you would be remiss not to purchase this album for your next social gathering in goggles and greatcoats. You can purchase Vernian Process’ album directly from their website, or on any digital medium you prefer, they are listed on Amazon, iTunes, and CDBaby as well.

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