Volume IV - NEW!
We’ve featured Volume IV before, so were well chuffed when they got in touch about their recent self titled release asking what we thought. As a band who describe themselves as ‘Loud Motherfuckers’ they’re a band who are right up our street, and with music that draws from the well of 70’s/80’s classic hard rock with no click track or auto tune, they’re a band that people need to be sitting up and paying attention to! I reckoned the best bet was to crank the volume knob up to 11 and to kick back to check out the music for myself!
Kicking things off with Wager things kick into a rolling melee of hammering guitar work, pounding rhythms and gravelly, hard hitting vocal lines. The mix which forms is upbeat and accessible whilst at the same time, funky and powerful - something which is going to seriously connect these guys with their audience. Imagine the sort of Southern tinged rock music you want to listen to when you’re drinking a shedload of beer, that’s the sound that you’ve got on offer here. Add in a sense of intricacy and power and the result is something which is going to hit home, make you sit up and take note, and make you seriously enjoy what you’re hearing – an awesome start to the EP for sure.
Moving on to KONG the theme of chunky assed riffs continues, once again hammering forth with a dirty guitar line and roaring vocal line, only this time at a slower, more hard hitting pace. Slow and powerful from the word go, this is straight up hard rock designed to reignite that love you have for proper rock music, and it’s damned good to hear. Even going so far as to add in some intricate lead lines, this track stands out as a serious high point on the record, and is now my official soundtrack wherever I go – it’s the sort of thing that you want playing whilst you walk somewhere in slow motion – definitely a serious high point to make sure you check out as soon as you can!
Standing out as the longest track on the EP by far (at 6:19) we’re soon led onto In The Land Of The Blind The One Eyed Man Is King, a bass oriented opening getting things going before the full force of the track is unleashed. Once again offering up pumping guitar tones supplemented by a pounding rhythm section, this track is another slowed down assault on the ear drums, packed with hooks and moments which are sure to make you sit up, take note, and beg for more. To me, this is a track that’s going to absolutely kill on the live scene, the sort of track which is going to get beer flowing, people chanting, and every single person in the venue loving every single second of what they’re hearing. Even going so far as to throw in one of the most epic guitar solos I’ve come across in a hell of a long time you’d be forgiven for mistaking this track for a Zakk Wylde classic, it’s that damned good.
It’s only then left to Poison Holy Water to close the EP, finishing with another faster track designed for a good time and some serious beer drinking. Rolling guitar work accompanies the solid drum and bass combination resulting in another pumping track that’s sure to ignite live venues. As a final track this does what it says on the tin, bringing everything full circle and leaving no doubt in your mind that there’s a new hard rock outfit on the scene in the form of Volume IV, and they’re a serious contender for THE band to watch this year.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to see Volume IV live in the very near future, meaning we either need to get them to UK shores (where they’d go down a storm) or someone needs to send me state side for a bit of a tour (any interested parties with money to burn please get in touch!). This new stuff from the guys is like a whole new beast, a whole new sound that’s going to capture your imagination and make you want to hear more, make you obsess over what you heard, and make you question how you existed before you’d heard of Volume IV. Believe me when I say you NEED to hear these guys, seriously.
To find out more about Volume IV, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Kicking things off with Wager things kick into a rolling melee of hammering guitar work, pounding rhythms and gravelly, hard hitting vocal lines. The mix which forms is upbeat and accessible whilst at the same time, funky and powerful - something which is going to seriously connect these guys with their audience. Imagine the sort of Southern tinged rock music you want to listen to when you’re drinking a shedload of beer, that’s the sound that you’ve got on offer here. Add in a sense of intricacy and power and the result is something which is going to hit home, make you sit up and take note, and make you seriously enjoy what you’re hearing – an awesome start to the EP for sure.
Moving on to KONG the theme of chunky assed riffs continues, once again hammering forth with a dirty guitar line and roaring vocal line, only this time at a slower, more hard hitting pace. Slow and powerful from the word go, this is straight up hard rock designed to reignite that love you have for proper rock music, and it’s damned good to hear. Even going so far as to add in some intricate lead lines, this track stands out as a serious high point on the record, and is now my official soundtrack wherever I go – it’s the sort of thing that you want playing whilst you walk somewhere in slow motion – definitely a serious high point to make sure you check out as soon as you can!
Standing out as the longest track on the EP by far (at 6:19) we’re soon led onto In The Land Of The Blind The One Eyed Man Is King, a bass oriented opening getting things going before the full force of the track is unleashed. Once again offering up pumping guitar tones supplemented by a pounding rhythm section, this track is another slowed down assault on the ear drums, packed with hooks and moments which are sure to make you sit up, take note, and beg for more. To me, this is a track that’s going to absolutely kill on the live scene, the sort of track which is going to get beer flowing, people chanting, and every single person in the venue loving every single second of what they’re hearing. Even going so far as to throw in one of the most epic guitar solos I’ve come across in a hell of a long time you’d be forgiven for mistaking this track for a Zakk Wylde classic, it’s that damned good.
It’s only then left to Poison Holy Water to close the EP, finishing with another faster track designed for a good time and some serious beer drinking. Rolling guitar work accompanies the solid drum and bass combination resulting in another pumping track that’s sure to ignite live venues. As a final track this does what it says on the tin, bringing everything full circle and leaving no doubt in your mind that there’s a new hard rock outfit on the scene in the form of Volume IV, and they’re a serious contender for THE band to watch this year.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to see Volume IV live in the very near future, meaning we either need to get them to UK shores (where they’d go down a storm) or someone needs to send me state side for a bit of a tour (any interested parties with money to burn please get in touch!). This new stuff from the guys is like a whole new beast, a whole new sound that’s going to capture your imagination and make you want to hear more, make you obsess over what you heard, and make you question how you existed before you’d heard of Volume IV. Believe me when I say you NEED to hear these guys, seriously.
To find out more about Volume IV, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Volume IV
So we’re called Loud-Stuff, and Volume IV describe themselves as Loud Motherfuckers – which seems like a match made in heaven! The guys got in touch letting us know about their music which draws from the 70’s and 80’s classic hard rock with no click tracks, no triggers, and no auto tune – just real people playing real music! I figured that the best way to see what I thought was to see what this Atlanta 3 piece had on offer with their track Kong.
Opening with a sludgy and powerful guitar line, the track opens as it means to go on, offering up a powerful backing beat from the drums and a real sense of classic rock flowing through the mix., Heavy without being over the top or sounding too much like anyone else, the guys have managed to achieve a sound which is classic whilst still sounding fresh, new and exciting. From the word go you’re pulled into the mix they’ve got on offer, offering up catchy hooks in the chorus, and blistering riffs during the main sections - a mix which is no longer attempted by bands but these guys have done it with aplomb. Slow, heavy, powerful and firmly rooted in a sludgy sense of power, this is a track that oozes with live band feeling, the sort of feeling you get when you see an exciting act for the first time, and the sort of thing which is going to hook people on to Volume IV from the moment they hear them. Coming to a close at 3:00 dead, I found myself sat in silence for about a minute afterwards, just taking in what I’d heard here – its like classic metal for the new generation, like the old bands are back, like there’s hope for real rock once again – in short, it’s damned good to hear.
I really really like the sound that Volume IV have gone for here as it’s heavy without any gimmicks, it’s just hard rock done by three guys who clearly love their craft. Don’t go into this thinking it’s going to be over the top or a lot to take in as simply, it’s not. Instead go into this to remember why you started listening to rock and why you still love it today – then prepare to be transported back to those good days once again.
To find out more about Volume IV, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with a sludgy and powerful guitar line, the track opens as it means to go on, offering up a powerful backing beat from the drums and a real sense of classic rock flowing through the mix., Heavy without being over the top or sounding too much like anyone else, the guys have managed to achieve a sound which is classic whilst still sounding fresh, new and exciting. From the word go you’re pulled into the mix they’ve got on offer, offering up catchy hooks in the chorus, and blistering riffs during the main sections - a mix which is no longer attempted by bands but these guys have done it with aplomb. Slow, heavy, powerful and firmly rooted in a sludgy sense of power, this is a track that oozes with live band feeling, the sort of feeling you get when you see an exciting act for the first time, and the sort of thing which is going to hook people on to Volume IV from the moment they hear them. Coming to a close at 3:00 dead, I found myself sat in silence for about a minute afterwards, just taking in what I’d heard here – its like classic metal for the new generation, like the old bands are back, like there’s hope for real rock once again – in short, it’s damned good to hear.
I really really like the sound that Volume IV have gone for here as it’s heavy without any gimmicks, it’s just hard rock done by three guys who clearly love their craft. Don’t go into this thinking it’s going to be over the top or a lot to take in as simply, it’s not. Instead go into this to remember why you started listening to rock and why you still love it today – then prepare to be transported back to those good days once again.
To find out more about Volume IV, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls