Volbeat is the best band I’ve come across in many, many months—maybe even years. They’re Danish (Denmark), which is good stock for metal bands, and here’s how they list their influences:
Everything from Elvis Presley to Napalm Death .. hail: Johnny Cash, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Ramones, Social Distortion, Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Dio, Megadeth, Metallica, Manic Street Preachers, Iron Maiden and bla bla bla bla…
The music is really classic, high-energy metal. Very heavy, but more like Pantera than LoG. Most important, though, is the vocals and lyrics. They signer is truly inspired. I’m not a big Johnny Cash guy, so to me the singer sounds like a cross between James Hetfield and Elvis—but with more power and more eccentricity. Yes, it seems like a strange combination, but trust me.
I’m particularly taken with their lyrics, which when combined with the musical style are very moving. My favorite song from the new album is a love song with an epic, fantasy-like feel, called A Moment Forever. Here’s a “video” of the song on YouTube:
If you are into metal, in any form, I implore you to check out this band—starting with their most recent release, Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil. I have the first album as well, but I prefer the more refined sound of the latest one.
Anyway, go forth and partake. You’re going to be pissed you didn’t find them sooner.
[ Edit: They released a new album titled, Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood on the first of September 2008 that has yet to hit iTunes or any of the other major American outlets. Hopefully it’ll drop here soon so I can get into it. ]
[ Edit: The new album looks to be exceedingly adequate. I’ll give some thoughts after I’ve had a chance to hear the entire thing. ;) ]
Links
[ The Volbeat Homepage | volbeat.dk ]
[ Volbeat | wikipedia ]
[ Volbeat’s MySpace | myspace.com ]