BLASTING-ZONE
Throughout my often adventure-filled career as a music and occasional "entertainment" journalist, I have graciously been presented with countless--or so it would seem--opportunities to work with artists and groups that the public at large (i.e. you, the increasingly faithful reader) are more than likely unfamiliar with. As a result, I have frequently found myself attempting to openly embrace an increasingly mind-boggling array of acts that are (in my ever so humble opinion, at least) deserving of your precious time and hard-earned money. Despite this (or perhaps in part because of it), my quest for the ultimate 'underground' or simply obscure Rock 'n' Roll experience continues undaunted as my truly disturbing thirst for all things under-promoted (and in some cases completely unpromoted) spirals hopelessly out of control. Thus, when I first stumbled upon the ingenious, genre-defying madness that is Sweden's very own Violent Divine, I once again found myself falling in love.
On the stellar Violent Divine (2006), an expertly assembled thirteen song collection of impossibly high octane, sleaze-inflected Hard Rock and Heavy Metal, each track, beginning with the maddeningly infectious battle cry "Let's Go", and the curiously titled (albeit highly effective) "Morning Show", immediately commands the rapt and undivided attention of even the most jaded and unimaginative of listeners (myself most definitely included) with a seamless, mostly mid-tempo barrage of gritty yet passionate vocals, searing "Guitar God"-fretwork (check out those freakin' thick as hell riffs!) and imaginatively punishing rhythms that are--despite invoking a virtual tidal wave of long lost memories of Motley Crue, Ratt and Van Halen, to name only a few--without a doubt, quite easily worthy of the highest of critical and commercial accolades.
Continuing with the swaggering, testosterone-fueled lament "Enslaved" and the pummeling first single "Rush You"--which is currently available as a free download via www.chavisrecords.net the steadfast (albeit largely unknown) combination of vocalist Michael Ahlstron, guitarist Mikael "Q" Quist, bassist Klaus Gauffin and drummer Gustav "Gus" Liljenstron steamrolls forward at an occasionally feverish pace, further solidifying an already undeniably burgeoning reputation as a genuine creative and commercial force (both sonically and visually) not to be ignored amid the increasingly stagnant and often painfully inbred Hard Rock and Heavy Metal genres, without succumbing to the shameless, payola and chart position-driven tactics that are so often utilized by the candy-ass crème de la crème of the so-called "mainstream".
An absolute must-have for those of us who still long for a full-ledged reunion of the original Van Halen line-up, but are sick and fucking tired of waiting for Dave and Eddie to bury the proverbial hatchet, other standouts, including the surprisingly relentless (albeit instantly memorable) "Ghost In The Machine", and the equally impressive closer "Down The Line", offer compelling further sonic evidence--though at this point, with the inescapable presence of such an immensely impressive debut, none is actually needed--in support of the almost (okay, completely) unbelievable wealth of lyrical and musical wizardry at the molten epicenter of each truly breathtaking composition, making Violent Divine (along with independent upstart Chavis Records label mates Azrael's Bane) one of the few pleasant surprises of the last twelve months.
Although one might effectively argue (and I, for the most part, would wholeheartedly agree) that the majority (if not all) of the decidedly forceful yet tuneful wares contained herein may or may not be for everyone (particularly those without a genuine and sincere thirst for all things Glam and Sleaze-flavored), one must, at the very least, sincerely admire the group's uniquely bloodthirsty dedication to their craft, a seemingly unique characteristic that instantly sets them apart from their few would-be contemporaries (as few and far between as they may be). If you are looking (and we certainly hope that you are) for a refreshing, thought-provoking alternative to the mindless din and clatter that is so often force fed en mass, then this, my friends, might just be the high octane cure for what ails you. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.
Blasting-Zone
The review
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