Personnel: Jon Crosby (various instruments); Alan Elliott (conductor); Sarah Sant Ambrogio (cello); Fred Maher (drums, programming); James Lo, Steven Garver (drums); Gary Gardner (tympani).

Principally recorded at Chateau Chaumont, Los Angeles, California, Palindrome, Venice, California, The Chapel, Encino, California and Soundtrack, New York, New York.

Personnel: Fred Maher (drums, programming); James Lo (drums); Gary Gardner (timpani).

Audio Mixer: Andy Wallace.

Recording information: Chapel, Encino, CA; Chateau Chaumont, Los Angeles, CA; Palindrome, Venice, CA; Soundtrack, New York, NY; Westlake Los An.

Unknown Contributor Role: Gary Gardner.

On the debut album by VAST, titled Visual Audio Sensory Theater, the listener is introduced to the many talents of one Jon Crosby. With its roots in Nine Inch Nails-like soundscapes and reminiscent of Type O Negative's mellower moments, the ingredient that sets VAST apart from its contemporaries is Crosby's experimentation with samples not yet touched upon in rock music. Some of the material sampled on the debut includes the Bulgarian Female Choir and the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of Saint-Mauer, plus the use of an actual 18-piece orchestra, to boot. The album is an intimidating listen the first time, but the rich textures created are quite impressive, with standout tracks being "Here," "Touched," and "Temptation." Lars Ulrich of Metallica has praised the album as "one of the best debut albums I've heard in a long, long time," and lovers of ambient electro-rock will undoubtedly agree upon hearing Visual Audio Sensory Theater. ~ Greg Prato