Review by Rachel Jablonski
With the U.S. on the brink of leading war against Iraq the world has become dense with noise. Anti-war protestors chant collaboratively while U.S. officials prompt harmony from allies. The result is an entanglement of catastrophic sound that threatens to only intensify. But these resounding combative tones do not correspond with worldwide pitches in every sense. Small scale in comparison, yet noteworthy still, is a strong musical effort coming from Denmark that demonstrates a deeply satisfying “Velvet Noise.”
What does this mean exactly? If a flowery sound signifying peace and love comes to mind, better think again. Branching from elements of such bands as Fear Factory, Machine Head, and Strapping Young Lad, the music of “Velvet Noise” enters an entanglement of sound all its own. The fluency and refinement is purely hypnotic and substantially captivating. Addictive energy that is refreshingly authentic, the album captures heavy riffs with unpredictable tempos overtop a classic metal foundation making “Velvet Noise” by Raunchy one of the most invigorating albums I have heard in awhile.
Pounding double kick drum assaults, soothing sounds of the synth, and crunchy guitars begin in “Twelve Feet Tall” and continue throughout the album. The explosiveness of sound is relentless with rich and enduring vibrancy. Spliced with nicely blended vocals, the album is interestingly heavy, dissonant, aggressive, and melodic all at once drawing the listener in immediately.
“Crack of Dawn” begins with a chilling guitar riff lasting about a minute before being interrupted by more dominating, thunderous guitars. Soft vocals do not last long before harsher accented lyrics are used. By the time the chorus breaks in everything comes together smoothly as instrumentation and vocals become quite catchy and melodic. Towards the end, death metal sounding vocals exemplify the wide range of diversity throughout the song. The listener is left feeling refreshed with a luring and heavy hypnotic ending.
“Drive” sets a mood perhaps rather different
than any other song on the album. It begins with an upbeat guitar that
initially seems to be disappointing to the deeply grounded listener. However,
the music soon drops down a notch satisfying any dark edged craving. Overall
the mood of the album is reasonably dark, but the tone is quite sporadic
allowing for various feeling and emotion.
The finale portion of “This is not an exit” seems to make
quite a statement. As the song title suggests the organ music is presumably
not signifying closure. The dark, ghostly feel of the song forecasts diverse
scenarios, however, an overwhelming feeling is that of an entrance theme
perhaps for a show. As intense as the energy is on the album, Raunchy’s
live show would undoubtedly be a completely energetic and fulfilling experience
as well.
Though the world is full of chaotic sound during this period of potential war and indecision, there are still some noises that remain pure and fulfilling. “Velvet Noise” from Raunchy is a lively and enjoyable album from a group of musicians from Denmark. Generating a full, robust sound, this first effort from Raunchy is quite commendable and deserves a diplomatic listen.