| CD REVIEW Valour |
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Band: Valour There is an air of secrecy surrounding this Bracknell (Berkshire, UK, situated some 45 kms West from central London, and just a stone’s throw from Ascot) quintet, which in a way goes together well with the darkness of the music they play! In spite of an extensive search (goin’ far beyond my usual sources) I’ve found no info of when the band started out, or what they’ve accomplished so far. So, what díd I find out? Valour is singer Sean Easton, guitarists Chris Merton and Mike Grey, bassist Jake Rhodes, and drummer Mark Frost. Actually, I’m not even sure if Grey and Rhodes are still with the band, because on the band’s MySpace page (which was started up as far back as November 24, 2005…and gives us at least sóme indication as to how long the guys have already been around as a band) the line-up mentioned includes one “Dom” on second guitar, and a “Toby” on the bass…so there’s a definitive possibility that there’s been a line-up change since the recordings of this album, which took place at Stakeout Studios with Chris Coulter behind the knobs (whom also provided the band some valuable advice dduring recordings)…but don’t ask me whén that happened either…but an aducated guess puts it somewhere at the end of 2007, when the band posted the lyrics to their songs in a blog at their MySpace page. The promo talk describes the band’s music as follows: “…an Alternative Metal crew who possess something dark, distinct, and instantly appealing to anyone who likes their Metal to display a technical edge, razor sharp guitars and a soundscape to a world of peace and disturbing enlightenment…A hardcore edge is spliced with the new Goth tendencies of Avenged Sevenfold or Marylin Manson, then all married to a New Wave tinge…”. Well, no matter what the writer of those lines meant, Valour brings a sound quite of their own, devoid of obvious influences, written with a good ear for melodies which are appallingly attractive in their darkness, and brought with a sufficient degree of technical play (Coulter described the band as being the “Most skillfull Technical band…” he’d ever recorded with). The whole brough with vocals that are to-die-for, even if theyr took me some getting used to at first! Check it all out for yourselves at myspace.com/valour05, where you’ll find 4 tracks (one only a sample, though) off the album. What’s there won’t give you an inside on the more introvert, soundtrack-ish and calmer side of the band, as displayed in the album’s short (only 104 seconds) opening instrumental “Midnight Heartache Pt.1” and its twin sister (hey, even twins are somehow different, usually), the album closing “Midnight Heartache Pt.2” [that one listed as lasting over 10 minutes, when in fact the track itself lasts only 2:15 – near the end of it there’s some mono-tone sound (like you would get when on the telly when the cable isn’t plugged) faded in, and this goes on for aalmost 5 minutes, when a “hidden” and far more lively instrumental ends the album]. Great stuff, but in spite of its instant attraction, I feel the band is not quite ready for the “Big League” yet. There’s still plenty of improvements possible, like possible harmony backings (or backing vocals tout-court), and an increased sense for melody…which would make the aggression even more appealing! Anyways…a very nice debut album, if you allow me to contradict myself again! 89/100 Tony. |