VANA – NEW ZEALAND’S RISING METAL POWERHOUSE
By Ralph Beauchamp
New Zealand’s rising metal powerhouse, Vana, just released her edgy new single entitled “In Your Name” via Sumerian Records. Vana‘s sound mixes industrial metal atmospheric intonations with detonating guitar riffs and pulverizing vocals. Raised in Auckland (originally born in Anaheim, California), Vana is entirely self-taught, building her sound and fanbase independently before signing to Sumerian Records in 2025. She dropped a six song EP, Die For Me! in 2023. Since then, she has let loose a series of impressive singles.
Vana‘s music meets at the intersection of alt metal, metalcore and dark pop. Her songs are hard hitting while harboring menacing soundscapes. She infuses her tracks with a cinematic intensity that totally engulfs her listeners. Every note carries a vibrant flair and ethereal inflections. Her vocals are supersized. Vana‘s voice has a genuine emotive quality that enthralls the souls of her fans.
Actually, a defining feature of Vana‘s music is the disparity between her vocal approaches. Her range is exceptional. At one moment, she can offer sublimely alluring singing, while at the next, demand attention with harsh vocal passages. And both combine to create something uniquely singular. The result is a sound that equalizes eerie delicacy with brazen ferocity.
Lyrically, Vana delves into themes of femininity, desire and passion. Her music is gothic in nature and draws inspiration from horror and fantasy. Her feminine characters are both strong and dangerous. She uses her imagery to create vignettes of powerful women who won’t back down. This gives her songs positive messaging to the metal world. Women can stand on their own.
In 2025, she released “Pray” which is explosively fierce. Her vocals are both melodic and brutal. The song’s sonic arrangement is ruthless. “Pray” feels like getting hit with a ten ton fireball right in the gut. The track is crushing. Her new single, “In Your Name” is just as voracious. Vana forges a celestial masterpiece. Her vocals deliver palettes of divine lush textures while the groove is intricately tenacious.
What makes Vana stand out is her ability to combine musical genres while still creating a sound that resonates with metal devotees. Her debut album, arriving fall 2026 via Sumerian Records, will introduce a dystopian fantasy world rooted in dark femininity, villainy, and the perspective of the misunderstood. I’m sure it will be spectrally spellbinding.
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