VENGEANCE
Dutch band Vengeance have been playing their brand of straight hard rock since the mid 1980s with ‘Soul Collector’ being their 11th release. They are influenced by many classic rock bands including the likes of Whitesnake, Aerosmith, and AC/DC to name but a few. The album is strongly produced and the band perform well but unfortunately their overall sound reminds me of the more average bands that dominated the LA scene of some 20 years ago. The songs are generally unremarkable, mediocre, tired and sadly quite dated with the riffs, tempo and lyrics giving it a ‘heard it all before’ feel, which runs all the way through the album. The opening track ‘Cross In The Rain’ does have some nice ideas but its patchy feel prevents the song from really rocking out. The title track is driven by a riff that reminds me of Megadeth's classic ‘Symphony Of Destruction’, which helps it become the best and most interesting track on the album. ‘What The Hell’ and ‘Lean On Me’ are soulless ballads that became typical and successful radio fodder in the late 1980s/1990s, particularly for bands such as Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and Motley Crue. As the album progresses, you get the feeling that it won't get any better and you are left unsurprised when it doesn't. Vengeance play a style of rock that suggests they are unsure of their preferred direction and as a result appear to have an identity crisis. They are neither heavy enough to appeal to metal fans, not rocking enough to appeal to fans of ball-busting hard rock and lacking in the catchy hooks and choruses needed to appeal to AOR fans. I guess if anyone craves for a return to the mostly LA sound of the late 1980s they may find ‘Soul Collector’ satisfying but anyone else should avoid this album as they, like me, will probably find it predictable and tedious.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Metal Heaven
Album
SOUL COLLECTOR
Review by Dave Crewe
RUNNING TIME:
45:47
RELEASE DATE:
23rd Jan 2009
TRACK LISTING
1) Cross In The Rain
2) Wait Until The Sun Goes Down
3) Soul Collector
4) Samurai
5) What The Hell
6) Myspace Freak
7) I Never Felt That Way Before
8) Dance
9) Rock and Roll Band
10) So Many Times
11) Lean on Me
2) Wait Until The Sun Goes Down
3) Soul Collector
4) Samurai
5) What The Hell
6) Myspace Freak
7) I Never Felt That Way Before
8) Dance
9) Rock and Roll Band
10) So Many Times
11) Lean on Me
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Holland
"I guess if anyone craves for a return to the mostly LA sound of the late 1980s they may find ‘Soul Collector’ satisfying but anyone else should avoid this album..."