Like their debut vinyl three years ago, this new record hits the spot. Only much, much harder. Bang! “Volume One” detonates unexpectedly and the band tears through nine energetic songs in thirty short minutes. There is urgency in the delivery. The vocals are harsher, the guitars sharper and the battery even heavier. Playing live obviously has had a significant impact on their sound and by recording live to analogue tape, this must be a fair representation of how they lay waste to the stage. Be warned. This is loud. Take the straight up fury of “Flash Roll” with its superb bass line, the tough rhythmic drive of “One Percenter” and the infectious “Dome City” for an adrenaline fix. But fret not. The psychedelic dimension remains integral. Just try on the fuzzy “Wooden Kimono” as it shifts up and down or the pervading spacey feeling of the title track after its initial roar subsides. “Pac Man Jones” is probably as laidback as the
album comes, which is not saying much, given that it too is loaded with attitude and bursts of speed. The bottom line here, Vincent Black Shadow rocks and flattens. Given half a chance the band will not go unnoticed. Allow them that. They deserve it.
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