Valkyrie - Fear

Monday, new week, it's time to present "Record Of The Week".

Virginia heavy rockers VALKYRIE has returned with a new album, "Fear". Their first new album in 5 years, "Fear" finds VALKYRIE sounding more progressive and diverse than ever before. Recorded at Earth Analog in Illinois, "Fear" showcases the tone-rich, organic songwriting process VALKYRIE honed in on over the course of their career.

Driven by brothers Jake and Pete Adams (formerly of BARONESS, from "Blue Record" through "Purple"), VALKYRIE draws from pre-metal style to create a rich and earthy heavy rock sound. "Fear" has a warm analog-sounding permeates throughout each of the album's 8 tunes, as blistering twin leads, soaring guitar harmonies by Pete and Jake Adams, nice slapped drum beats by Warren Hawkins, compliant bass loops by Alan Fary that gives a groovy relentless vibe, powerful lyrics with a pleasant and well-sung voice that gives this album a very enjoyable collection of heavy rock tunes.

The style isn't that easy to file, but it's heavy rock with a twist, that includes most of the goodies over the past century, here you will be served some traditional metal, classic hard rock and prog-rock, some sludge blues, progressive NWOTHM, partly doomish and with psychedelic SABBATH worship in the base. 

A showcase that VALKYRIE is expanding their sound can clearly be heard on the opening tune "Feeling So Low" where we get served classic hard rock, groovy melody, and a hook that's hard to be forgotten. A few more tunes fall in this folder like the excellent riff rocker "The Choice" and "Evil Eye" where they serve us something different while still retaining their origin. The melodic guitar-driven "Afraid To Live" has a remarkable atmospheric melody with a soulful guitar playing. More classic tunes like "Fear And Sacrifice" that have the more mid-pace stomp, lovely guitars that paint up a marvelous melody landscape that halfway flows away in a bluesy guitar madness. Slows down, breathes a little in "Brings You Down" until we get closer to the end and the three-minute mark, here the tempo rises and we get some chugging guitars and a good lathe guitar solo. The more doomy sounding piece is "Loveblind", that with it's heavier guitar riffs and old school prog-rock sounding could be taken from the early '70s. The album ends with the beautiful album closer "Exasperator" that has a spacy atmospheric moody touch that pierces you deeply. 

"Fear" is a very high quality atmospheric heavy rock album and VALKYRIE is one of the most creative and dynamic forces in the hard rock scene today. "Fear" was released on July 24, 2020, by Relapse Records.

Sum: Guitar-oriented atmospheric heavy rock as it's best.

Today's tune "The Choice" is taken from "Fear", enjoy!



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