Vlad In Tears – Hide Inside
By: George Andritsakis
Review Score: 9
What do you get when you mix Linkin Park, HIM, Greece’s insanely awesome and underrated Daffodil, nü-metal vocal influences, a dash of Italian pomp and panache, relocation to a bigger, darker, more gothic metal scene in Germany, and mix it all up in one big heavy metal melting pot? You get Vlad In Tears. Like the aforementioned Daffodil, how these fellas aren’t huge in the metal scene is a complete mystery. Hide Inside is their 9th album, and the more I blast this at home or in the car, the more I’m convinced the world will break their doors down upon release.
Just listen to songs like The Monster Inside, with Christian Miconi channeling his inner Chester Bennington, only better, Your Trace (feat. John Dog Eat Dog) with one of the sickest bass/guitar riff combos I’ve heard in decades, Living Nightmare with these pleading, begging bridges that build into a grand chorus which sounds like Christian Miconi’s vocals being layered thoughtfully before the listener is pummeled by an outro that sounds like it came from the darkest recesses of the human mind.
No One Cares sounds like a monumental sequel to Linkin Park’s “What I’ve Done” and a tune I cannot, for the life of me, get out of my head. I’m not complaining about it though, for you will see me in the pit with these fellas on stage one day, and my own limitations aside, I will be running that pit come hell or high water. Touch Me sounds like something that crawled off Def Leppard’s eclectic 1996 Slang album, wrapped itself in gothic romance and baptized with a hook filled groove, like a 21st Century Barry White tune. Songs like this are how the next generation will be spawned.
Then there’s the cover of DJ Snake’s Let Me Love You. I will say this, though, and I don’t say this about covers hardly at all, but this version completely destroys the original, apologies to DJ Snake and Justin Bieber, but…this sounds like how a song of this caliber should sound. Next up is the first single off the album, Empty, which is such a pure, simple, down to Earth tune that will snag the listener by the throat. Toss in Christian Miconi and his ethereal voice, and you have the makings of an all out banger. He hits some major notes here, and I swear you can hear the ghost of Layne Staley coming out.
I Want This Pain is another seriously catchy track that’s neatly embedded in my skull permanently now, it has such an infectious groove that I find myself play it on repeat. The chanting that leads into the chorus is such a perfect buildup for an ass kicking tune, with lyrics I can definitely identify with.
Moving onto My Wake, with that opening bass riff that is just so deliciously dirty and chugging, ooof, I’m definitely a fan, and if this isn’t in the band’s live set, us fans should riot! You can hear the pain of the vocals coming through in this song for sure, yet another fantastic tune I can totally relate to. No More Fear is another notable tune, with one of the most ethereal solos I’ve heard in a very long time. Real sounds like it came out of the mid 90’s hard grunge and nose dived into the 2000’s nu-metal.
The Death Of Me sounds like it was written especially for me, I’m pretty sure I’ve screamed some of these lyrics at some point or another in my life. Tomorrow is another tune that sounds like it came right out of 1990’s John Corabi-led Motley Crue, with Christian Miconi’s aignature attitude and angst along with the back-and-forth guitar antics of brother Alessio Miconi and Puneete Vohra adding additional mirth and riffage from somewhere definitely far below.
Last but not least, we have Hide, and my GOD, what a track. Christian Miconi again channeled Layne Staley here, in what is probably the most emotional song on the album of all. I’m telling you, this album had better be the breakout these boys need, because this is right up there with Linkin Park’s “Minutes To Midnight” or Alice In Chains “Dirt”.
Genre: Hard Rock, Dark Metal
Label: Metalville, Napalm Records
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Playlist:
1. The Monster Inside
2. Your Trace (feat. John Dog Eat Dog)
3. Living Nightmare
4. No One Cares
5. Touch Me
6. Let Me Love You
7. Empty
8. I Want This Pain
9. My Wake
10. No More Fear
11. Real
12. The Death Of Me
13. Tomorrow
14. Hide
Lineup:
Christian Miconi – Vocals
Alessio Miconi – Lead Guitars
Puneete Vohra – Guitars
Dario Miconi – Bass
Frabcseco Cosma – Drums