| CD REVIEW Raunchy |
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Band : Raunchy Former collegue Trik swiped this Danish sextet's previous album (2006's Death Pop Romance) from under my nose (review posted 29/01/2006), and I have therefore stayed somewhat unknowing about the subtle directional change their music took since it's predecessor (and my introduction to the band) Confusion Bay (2004). Some other changes came about in the life of the guys as well, like they severed ties with Nuclear Blast in 2005, and then signed on to the Lifeforce roster. The band also underwent a slight line-up change with the departure of Confusion Bay singer Lars Vognstrup in favour of their old singer Kasper Thomsen, and the additional recruitment of Jeppe Christensen (the rest of the fold constisting of drummer Morten Toft Hansen – once playing with Hatesphere, which he left to dedicate himself to Raunchy -, guitarist Lars Christensen, guitarist/ synth player Jesper Tilsted, and bassist Jesper Kvist). Having added an element of Thrash to the already existing (and still remaining) mixture of Modern Metal with hard guitars and killer drums, Nu-Metal, Pop, melodic Death Metal, and Industrial (through modern synths) which the guys had named "Futuristic Hybrid Metal", gave a new dimension to Raunchy music which was much-appreciated by fans and media alike, but which completely passed me by. The music business had nót missed on the band's positive evolution, and at the Danish Metal Awards of 2006, the band were not only nominated in no less than 5 categories, but they also won prices for best production and artwork in November of that same year! That same month saw the band start off on the European Danish Dynamite Tour in alliance with fellow Danes Hatesphere nd Volbeat, with dates going well into December. 2007 brought a re-issue of the band's Nuclear Blast debut album Velvet Noise through Mighty Music (which ain't so surprising, because they released it before NB picked up on it) with new artwork, additional liner notes, and four bonus tracks. Most of 2007 was spent writing new material, and then recording it in February of 2008 at Hansen Studios (which is not a studio held by the singer, but rather by renowned producer Jacob with the same family name; the previous album was recorded there as well, by the way). On the 12 songs of the album, the band goes through a variety of musical moods, going from all-out ferocious to somewhat more atmospherical, with that occasional whiff of Industrial and/or Pop in the synths...and mixing Death Metal grunts with clean style singing (the latter being somewhat prevalent), and one occasion where the guys use some vocoder (album closing "The Comfort In Leaving"). There's a great balance between the guitars and the synths, as each is given a chance to shine occasionally. There's also a real wacky version of the Michael Jackson hit song "Somebody's Watching".And now here's the réal good news: you can have a listening session of the compléte album (besides a track off Confusion Bay and two off Death Pop Romance)at myspace.com/raunchy. Not just samples, mind you, but complete songs! I have this idea that after listening to the material, you'll either hate it or love it, and in the latter case you're sure to go get yourself a retail copy of the album! Personally, I lóve this shit, and that's why Wasteland Discotheque was catapulted into my year-lists from the first listening session! People into the DVD medium will be delighted to find that the band's live set from their sold-out show on December 2nd of last in Copehagen will see a release later this year, that same disc also to contain live sets at last year's Summer Breeze by Deadlock, Fall Of Serenity and War From A Harlots Mouth. 98/100 Tony. |