Albums

Album Review: Valient Thorr

[Album: Immortalizer]
[Label: Volcom Entertainment]

This quintet of rockers from Chapel Hill, North Carolina have an incredible, some might say, unbelievable story. Apparently, they arrived on Earth from Venus in their spaceship in 1957. They then climbed aboard their time machine and set about exploring Earth throughout history. Well, that’s their story and they’re sticking to it. With band members going by the names of Voiden Thorr and Dr. Professor Nitewolf Strangees, to name just two, I’m not about to argue with them.

This is Valient Thorr’s fourth album in five years which just goes to show quite how hard-working this band is. Perhaps they really have been using that time machine to get as much material out there as possible. Their fans, knows as “Thorriors”, are certainly dedicated having split into many chapters and follow them wherever they play. So have they got an album worthy of such adoration?

Well, they’ve certainly got one foot in the past with their angular rock groove harping back to the music of Ted Nugent, Ratt and Motorhead with the addition of a tweak of punk aggression. Opener ‘I Hope The Ghosts Of The Dead Haunt Your Soul Forever’ has a stoner Saviours-riff running through it before powering into a spiked MC5 vocal as frontman Valient struts his stuff. Big rhythm guitars and drums underscore a healthy dose of impressive guitar lead. ‘Tomorrow Police’ cruises along at a searing pace with buzzing raw guitars and driving beats. Get those insane lyrics though - “You hear them coming from miles away/Their hovercrafts mean Hell to pay/If you give chase you’re gonna die/These future cops will shine their flashlight in your eye.” I’ll have some of what these boys have been drinking!

There is plenty of filler on show here with ‘Infinity’, ‘Birdhead Looking…’ and ’Red Flag’ just poorer copies of what has gone before. There are, however, a few pearls within the grotty oyster. There’s ‘Parable Of Daedalus’ which borrows some quality Iron Maiden riffage and bustles with something deeper, more gritty and wholly ingenious. There’s ‘Vernal Equinox’ which is a nice step-down from the speed-fest and ‘Steeplechase’ which is a great vehicle for a stunning volley of stickwork. Basically, if you like your rock hard and your roll uncomfortable, then you could do a lot worse than everyone’s favourite Venusians, Valient Thorr.

For fans of: Motorhead, Clutch, Priestess
Band link = Valient Thorr

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