Wednesday 26 February 2014

Volume IV - Long In The Tooth - Album Review

Long In The Tooth cover art

Album Type:Album
Date Released: March 11th 2014
Label: Ripple Music

Long In The Tooth - Track listing:

1.Looking Low For A High 04:39
2.Utero/Long In The Tooth 03:31
3.Wager 02:51
4.Blackwater 06:09
5.Save Your Servant 04:55
6.Kong 03:01
7.Cabal 01:23
8.Awake The Dreamer 03:16
9.Save Your Prayers 01:43
10.Locust Have No King 03:55

Band Bio

Volume IV, featuring Joe Carpenter of Atlanta thrash-veterans Nihilist. Ripple Music is proud to reveal the band's label debut, Long In The Tooth, which will be coming out in the US on March 11th.

With equal parts elegant beauty and steamrolling aggression, Volume IV serve up a piece of ear candy for the ages with Long In The Tooth. This first release with Ripple Music is a concise, 36-minute thrill ride of swampy metal heroics, featuring heavy grooves, classic bluesy stoner riffs, and an overall impending sense of doom. These boys bring back the old school attitude of musical sensibility, working hard to master your instrument, and taking pride in creating a wide pallet of musical styles: Thunderous drumming locked tight within the pocket, bass guitar providing a dense foundation for the thick guitar and gritty yet melodic vocals that lay on top. In a world where everything is mechanized, click-tracked and auto-tuned, Volume IV does it the only way, the honest way, straight from the gut, which is what we need to make music human again and separate the men from the boys.

Individually the members of Volume IV have shared the stage with legendary acts such as Motörhead, Iron Maiden, Danzig, Mastodon, Corrosion Of Conformity and Down just to name a few. Led by singer/guitarist Joe Carpenter and filled out by bassist Blake Parris and drummer Troy King, Volume IV is set to stun the music world with one of the most anticipated releases of the year!

For Fans of Black Sabbath, Corrosion of Conformity, Orange Goblin, Monster Magnet, Down and Pentagram!

The Band Members

Joe Carpenter – Guitars/Vocals
Troy King – Drums
Blake Parris – Bass

Review:

Long In The Tooth is the much anticipated debut album from hotly tipped Sludge Rockers – Volume IV – who have been teasing the Sludge/Stoner/Hard Rock world with snippets of music for the past 6 months or so. Now I am happy to report that Volume IV are primed and ready for music domination as they have delivered a pulsating debut album packed full of hard hitting riffs.

What is the first sign of greatness for Volume IV? Well they are signed to the best Hard Rock Label on the planet – Ripple Music. Any band signed to Ripple Music you know you are in for a great time. As Ripple Music, only sign but the best bands and they have another winner on their hands here. However, this is a review for Volume IV debut album. And what an album it is.

Volume IV blends Sludge, Doom, Stoner, and a healthy appreciation of NOLA style riffage. First track – Looking Low for a High – is the perfect introduction to the band as it’s a perfect mixed of fast-paced riffs and highly addictive vocals which all adds up for a truly dangerous rock and roll band. This is not surprising since they are led by Joe Carpenter from legendary Thrash Metallers – Nihilist.

This hard-rocking power trio do not fall into any genre. They are musical renegades and outlaws preaching their own deadly brand of Hard Rock. It is just that Volume IV pack an almighty Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal punch that will knock you sideways repeatedly.

Listen to the excellent 2nd track – Utero/Long In The Tooth – that features at the band laying down some epic riffs that can give Mastodon a run for their money. As Volume IV pull out all the stops in giving you one hard-rocking ride that will have you rocking out singing along to in no time at all. This is hard rock of the highest order.

Do you ever wonder what Thin Lizzy would sound like if they ever went down the Southern Rock route? Well the answer is here folks on the superb 3rd track – Wager – with Joe on fine form his fine gravelled vocals giving this track extra groove. But it is the riffs where the guys impress the most as it features some awesome Thin Lizzy style riffs.

By now I was loving the FUCK out of this album as they guys don’t waste a single second of the albums 37 minute run time. Volume IV pour their hearts and souls into the album as you can feel the intensity of every note, lick and riff coming straight at you.

Up next is – Blackwater – a 6-minute Groove/Blues/Hard Rock track that has an earthly Southern based vibe to it. Volume IV add extra thick layers of 70s based Stoner Metal riffs to give this track an almighty epic feel to it. Joe once again shows what a fine vocalist he is as he sings his heart out here. The other band members Troy and Blake play their part by laying down some outstanding instrumental work on drums and bass respectively.

I don’t want to do a track-by-track review as I will be here all day but Volume IV have delivered a stunning debut album packed full of monumental riffs for you to devour. If you need more proof then I advise you to check out the gigantic sounds of KONG. A murky swamp based blues stoner rock blast that will have your heart beat thumping 100 times faster as Volume IV are fearless in their approach to music.

Long In The Tooth is a brilliant debut album and its the perfect introduction to Volume IV’s crushing riffs that will have you coming back for more punishment.

Ripple Music have signed another outstanding talent to their label. Buy this album when it comes out. You won’t be disappointed.

Thanks to Mona at Platinum PR, Cat at Southern Cross PR and Ripple Music for sending us a promo to review. Long in the Tooth will be available to buy from March 11th 2014 on CD/DD/Vinyl from Ripple Music

Check the band from links below.