Album Review

Valentiine – Valentiine

• 7th Jan 2013

Valentiine (note the double i spelling) are an all female rock trio from Australia. They release their eponymous debut album via Integrity Records on 1st July, and it will surely gain them plenty of attention on this side of the world.

Vanessa V (guitar/ vocals), Erica E (bass/ vocals) and Shelly K (drums/ vocals) play a form of high energy garage or grunge rock that features great guitar hooks, heavy bass and fast drumming together with some lovely harmonies backing passionate, sometimes screamed, vocals. The tracks range from the fast and furious to slower and moodier songs that seethe with pent up electricity.

Current single Love Like opens the album, its big riffs setting an immediately heavy tone behind the vocals. There is an ominous and dark feel to the track, confirmed when the music subsides momentarily allowing Vanessa to intone, “Break your bones so you’ll never try to leave me,” before the pace hits frenetic again with a chilling scream.

New single Chucky comes next, a darkly humorous description of the morning after from hell, a graphic description of an awful hangover complete with more big riffs. Another dark track, Birthday is a highlight. This one starts slowly and builds steadily, with some good guitar work before bursting into life. Hates Me is another real stand out, an angst ridden song with a great grumbling bass line, a lovely hook and a big chorus.

Better For Me starts off with a strange, almost out of tune, distorted guitar sound before the bass joins in, low and dirty. The vocals are slow and have the menacing edge that so many tracks share. And the closer Today’s Tomorrow is another with a great bass line. It has a restrained beginning but once more an explosion of sound is never far away and the eventual break out comes as no surprise. It slows at the end, giving the bass the final say on the album.

Valentiine have a real passion and commitment to their music. The lyrics may be quite simple in most cases but the power in their heavy rock sound takes their songs to a higher level. If you like you music raw and dirty then you will enjoy Valentiine. This is a decent debut album from a band who appear to have a great deal still to show.

Venue: Valentiine
Support Band: Integrity Records