THE VASCO ERA : IS IT REALLY THE END?

THE VASCO ERA are a band who combine art rock, alternative post grunge and the influence of UK bands like U2 and COLDPLAY to create a unique and ambiguous sound just like the name of the band. 

With little effort, the australian 3-piece can switch from sounding like WOLFMOTHER to sounding something more like COLDPLAY, or sounding as hyperactive and on the edge as NICK CAVE having an overdose only to simmer right down and almost sound undercooked. 

THE VASCO ERA have recorded two EP's and three albums since forming in 2004, despite being one of the most riveting and powerful live bands on the australian pub and club circuit the band has never quite made it big.

Despite the good critical reception given to the patchy 2009 album LUCILLE, an album where every second song really rocks and the other ones suffer from too much self indulgency,  and the more consistent and rock heavy self titled album released in 2011. 

The former only just scraped into the Australian top 50 and the latter only got to number 94 on the Australian charts. 

Although the band hasn't achieved the commercial success it would have wanted, it does have an enviable reputation as a live act and on a good night the band has been said to rock harder than even WOLFMOTHER, who brothers SID O'NEILL (guitar/vocals), TED O'NEILL (bass/backing vocals) as well as drummer MICHAEL FITZGERALD rever as their ultimate heros. 

THE VASCO ERA certainly draws on American blues as an influence as well, which goes to explain the band's respect for WOLFMOTHER and that band's retro Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath fueled retro blues rock and their previous appearance at the East Coast Blues and Roots Music Festival in Byron Bay. 

As of 2013, I am not sure of the band's future, Wikipedia talks about the band as in past tense (i.e were a band, not are a band), but maybe that's just a typo. 

THE VASCO ERA are a great band when they rock out, and especially live in concert, and it would be a great shame if we have seen the last of them.