Over the weekend, Vola Guitars reunited with longtime signature artist Pierre Danel in Chicago during the latest North American run from Novelists. Representing the Vola camp were Gregory James and Joshua Powell, who made the trip into the city ahead of the band’s May 15 performance at the historic Riviera Theatre. Powell had just wrapped up work printing records at Romanus Records before the two hit the road north. Once in Chicago, they stopped at Xoco, a stellar Aztec-inspired restaurant tucked into the heart of downtown. By the time the venue doors opened, the crowd at the Riviera Theatre was beyond eager for one of the largest stops on the tour. Novelists joined a stacked lineup alongside Dance Gavin Dance, The Fall of Troy, and Wolf & Bear.

As the lights dropped inside the theater, vocalist Camille Contreras opened the set alone under a spotlight before the rest of Novelists entered one by one behind her. The tension built slowly until the band landed on a crushing drop that immediately shifted the energy in the room. The group powered through a strong but condensed set, built heavily around material from their 2025 release, CODA. Pierre Danel stayed locked in throughout the performance, moving between their complex arrangements without missing a beat. Several of the night’s biggest moments came during his solo sections, where his trademark phrasing cut through and proved why he's one of the best in the biz. Danel’s chemistry with guitarist Florestan Durand continues to define much of the band’s sound, particularly in a live setting where the added layers of production hit even harder. Backed by bassist Nicolas Delestrade and drummer Amael Durand, the entire set felt well curated from start to finish.

For this run, Pierre relied heavily on two of his Vola signature instruments: the Vasti PDM J2 and the Vasti 7 PDM J3. The Vasti PDM J2, his six-string model, stood out immediately with its deep rose finish framed by a natural false binding that gave the guitar a sharp but understated look under the stage lights. Built with a mahogany body and maple top combination, the instrument also features a roasted maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, Gotoh hardware, and an HSS configuration loaded with Vola custom wound pickups. Throughout the set, the J2 handled everything Pierre threw at it. Its slightly more compact and familiar six-string platform made it a natural fit for the specific songs he chose to use it for. Watching him navigate it so effortlessly made it clear why the model has become such an important part of his touring rig.

The extended-range Vasti 7 PDM J3 brought an entirely different character to the stage once the lower tuned material started rolling in. The third evolution of Danel's line, the signature seven-string model features an Ash/Walnut/Ash sandwich-style body finished in Thin Ice Blue Gloss, paired with a roasted maple Modern C neck and 24 stainless steel frets. Pierre’s model is loaded with Bare Knuckle Bootcamp Brute Force pickups, delivering the aggressive low-end response and tight articulation needed for Novelists’ down-tuned material. Songs from CODA hit especially hard through the J3, with the extended scale design keeping every note defined even during the densest sections of the set. The guitar’s extensive electronics and wide range of switching options also gave Danel access to everything he needed. From the crowd’s perspective, the J3 blended seamlessly with their bluish aesthetic during those particular tunes.

Pierre Danel has now spent years helping shape the identity of the Vasti line, and seeing those instruments used in a live environment continues to reinforce the purpose behind every design choice. Novelists’ current U.S. tour carries on through the remainder of May with additional theater dates across the country. The band’s momentum has only increased in recent years, opening the door for new material, international touring, and festival appearances throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. Vola Guitars will catch back up with Novelists on June 7 when the tour rolls into Nashville for another night of modern progressive metal. Until then, Chicago served as a reminder of exactly why Pierre remains such an important voice within both the band and the Vola artist roster.