Valerie – Valerie
VALERIE
VALERIE
Released June 23, 2012 (Hellish Records)
Track List:
01. It’s Not Love – It’s Not War
02. Heat Of The Night
03. When Two Hearts Collide
04. Vixen
05. Tear Down The Walls
06. Love Is Like A Heart Attack
07. Taste The Bullet
08. Love Is Not Enough
Band:
BT Valerie – lead vocals and guitar
Magnus Christiansen – guitar and vocals
Augustus Clark – bass and vocals
Erlend Omdal – drums and vocals
Production:
Produced, mixed and mastered by Bard Torstensen.
Review:
Cast your eyes down the list of song titles on Valerie‘s self-titled debut album, check out the cover, stick the first track on, and if you’ve been listening to music long enough you might just dismiss them as yet another 80’s retro outfit plundering the treasures of the past only to serve up a chest full of ghosts. That’s OK by this band though — who tell us that their sound is ‘1987 in 2012’ and it’s hard to argue with them.
The album’s an arresting set of tracks that’ll stalk you from day one. Anthemic standouts “Heat Of The Night”, “When Two Hearts Collide”, “Taste The Bullet” and “Tear Down The Walls” keep the air punching’ foot tappin’ tempo alive and kickin’. Producer Bard Torstensen has made this band sound formidable while guitarists BT Valerie and Magnus Christiansen provide an imposing display of riffery and finely crafted solos that consistently excite but never indulge. The rhythm section of bassist Augustus Clark and skins man Erlend Omdal underpin the outfit and it’s clear that the band understands that it’s the song that carries the music.
At only eight tracks Valerie do well to favor quality over quantity, and a special mention must go to the evocative closing ballad “Love Is Not Enough” which would sit well on any Scorpions or Great White album and yet has that something special that gives these Norwegians a trademark sound. If you loved it then… you’ll love Valerie now.
www.valerie.no – www.facebook.com/Valerieband – hellishrecords.no
Reviewed by Mark Redmayne for Sleaze Roxx, August 2012
Buy The CD:
Purchase at Hellishrecords.no
Purchase at eBay.com