Dark Victory
We were recently sent through a copy of the EP, Attack Of The Sheepeople’ from the Birmingham and Nottingham area based band, Dark Victory, released digitally HERE. The EP is a result of the songwriting and musical ability of Simon Bell, working with numerous different members and nurturing the different approaches to music he produced. Covering genres such as punk rock and acoustic rock as well as alternative metal, Attack Of The Sheepeople promises to be an EP which is going to be both interesting and entertaining – so what of the music?
Opening with Plutonomy there’s an immediate smash in the face from some distorted guitar work, pounding drums and bone crushing bass rhythms. Heavy from the off, there’s a real sense of alternative metal flowing through things here, crafting a sound which is a combination of metal and punk, somehow creating a sense of distortion and aggression whilst still managing to keep a sense of melody running through things. The vocals are a little low in the mix which at times, can cause them to be faded out behind everything, but throughout the track you’re given the chance to allow the music to do all of the talking which is needed. The moments around 2:14 are my personal favourite elements of this track, turning the track into something which harks back to the glory days of metal, throwing down with some Maiden like guitar work and a beat which is going to have fists in the air and people moving along, absolute genius.
Fade follows on, this time opening with a more out there approach before once again bringing back in those hammering riffs to take the lead. The guitar work once again is unfaltering, resulting in a sound which is going to have people reaching for their air guitars to hammer along. Once again crafting a sound which is a nod towards a combination of old skool and newer metal styles, what’s most evident here is the songwriting ability which has led to the creating of this track. My issue is the same as the first track, once again the vocals are faded in the mix meaning that it’s hard to keep track of what they’re saying, but at the same time when you’ve got music like this going on it’s not a huge fault.
Closing with Sensuous Touch the tone is changed completely, this time moving more towards an acoustic approach and offering a more considered and emotional sound. Still managing to keep the track upbeat tempo wise, there’s a contrast flowing throughout this track, sounding like it could well be a more distorted track if it chose to be, but the softer approach keeping a sense of melody and reflection alive throughout it. Personally, I love the way that the two guitar sounds work in unison throughout this track, the result is a track which does what it should do – leave you wanting more but knowing that this is an EP which you’re going to come back to time and time again.
Throughout the EP from Dark Victory there’s a real sense of musical ability, something which can often be lost in bands offerings. Heavy moments contrast with laid back mellow moments and the result is an EP which is a journey rather than just a selection of tracks. The vocals are a little low in the mix at times but to be quite honest, it’s such a minor complaint that it has no overall bearing on the tracks – this is going to be something to keep an eye on.
You can download the record for yourself, HERE
To find out more about Dark Victory, check out their Facebook page HERE, and their MySpace page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with Plutonomy there’s an immediate smash in the face from some distorted guitar work, pounding drums and bone crushing bass rhythms. Heavy from the off, there’s a real sense of alternative metal flowing through things here, crafting a sound which is a combination of metal and punk, somehow creating a sense of distortion and aggression whilst still managing to keep a sense of melody running through things. The vocals are a little low in the mix which at times, can cause them to be faded out behind everything, but throughout the track you’re given the chance to allow the music to do all of the talking which is needed. The moments around 2:14 are my personal favourite elements of this track, turning the track into something which harks back to the glory days of metal, throwing down with some Maiden like guitar work and a beat which is going to have fists in the air and people moving along, absolute genius.
Fade follows on, this time opening with a more out there approach before once again bringing back in those hammering riffs to take the lead. The guitar work once again is unfaltering, resulting in a sound which is going to have people reaching for their air guitars to hammer along. Once again crafting a sound which is a nod towards a combination of old skool and newer metal styles, what’s most evident here is the songwriting ability which has led to the creating of this track. My issue is the same as the first track, once again the vocals are faded in the mix meaning that it’s hard to keep track of what they’re saying, but at the same time when you’ve got music like this going on it’s not a huge fault.
Closing with Sensuous Touch the tone is changed completely, this time moving more towards an acoustic approach and offering a more considered and emotional sound. Still managing to keep the track upbeat tempo wise, there’s a contrast flowing throughout this track, sounding like it could well be a more distorted track if it chose to be, but the softer approach keeping a sense of melody and reflection alive throughout it. Personally, I love the way that the two guitar sounds work in unison throughout this track, the result is a track which does what it should do – leave you wanting more but knowing that this is an EP which you’re going to come back to time and time again.
Throughout the EP from Dark Victory there’s a real sense of musical ability, something which can often be lost in bands offerings. Heavy moments contrast with laid back mellow moments and the result is an EP which is a journey rather than just a selection of tracks. The vocals are a little low in the mix at times but to be quite honest, it’s such a minor complaint that it has no overall bearing on the tracks – this is going to be something to keep an eye on.
You can download the record for yourself, HERE
To find out more about Dark Victory, check out their Facebook page HERE, and their MySpace page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls