Violent Soho “Hungry Ghost” Review
review by Erik Ghint
I believe that record reviews are the collective response of the author’s objective opinion and taste on music in general, combined, however, with some undisputed facts. Before reviewing the latest record by Rise Against I was asked to weigh in on Violent Soho’s LP “Hungry Ghost”, which was released in Australia September 6th 2013 through I OH U records and was picked up by SideOneDummy Records in the States for an across the pond release on September 30th (Dine Alone Records is releasing “Hungry Ghost” in Canada on September 30th of 2014).
Dope Calypso
Lowbrow
Covered in Chrome
Saramona Said
In The Aisle
OK Cathedral
Fur Eyes
Gold Coast
Liars
Eightfold
Hungry Ghost
Violent Soho are an Australian band of young grungy skateboarders that came of age in the first decade of the new millennium. It is now 2014, they have released their third record and I have never heard of them.
The record kicks off and I notice that every single song on it is over three minutes long; immediately I’m thinking this is not a good thing to happen to someone enjoying the shortness of punk rock songs. On top of that, Dope Calypso – the opening song, has a clean guitar riff intro followed by a non impressive join in by everyone else in the band production-wise and I’m not exactly anticipating anything exciting to come. But then the vocals start and there’s a nice melodic roughness to them; the verse get’s angrier and culminates to a chorus that totally blows my mind. Suddenly the musical parts align with the awesome repetitiveness of the lyrics in the chorus, urging me to actually slightly bang my head to the rhythm. This is the first minute of the song and my initial assessment has been completely turned around. I’m hit with that feeling of liking something on the first listen.
Three songs into the record and I can’t believe how amazing this band is. These twenty-something kids from Australia have blended the indieness of the Pixies with the punk rock grungeness of Nirvana and Mudhoney. Twenty years later. Following that recipe the record has heavier and mellower songs like Covered in Chrome and Samamona Said respectively, the latter one probably being my favorite. Saramona Said has a lighter feel to it and totally comes down smashing in its final part. Covered in Chrome is another opportunity to lose yourself during its chorus.
The band, and label I suppose, have chosen the better songs of “Hungry Ghost” to promote the record by shooting a number of video clips. Dope Calypso, Covered in Chrome, Saramona Said, In the Aisle and Fur Eyes, varying in rhythm and style, are beautifully put together musically and artistically. This is what I love most about Violent Soho. The grungier riffs and the mellower parts and songs are both manifested perfectly and the variety achieved is on a top level. Yes, the singer sounds a lot like the iconic Black Francis of the Pixies, but who cares really ? This is so good that it makes total sense why Violent Soho is a huge band in Australia, why their videos have hundreds of thousands of views and exactly why the genius label SideOneDummy Records picked this record to re-release it in the States. People will love them everywhere.
OK Cathedral and Fur Eyes, consecutive songs in the middle of “Hungry Ghost”, lack almost any kind of distortion, but flow greatly as an intermission between the furious rocking and then give way to the punkier break downs of Gold Coast, which is next in line. Liars is probably my least favorite track on the record, just before the final curve for this brilliant effort of a recording session with the rocking number Eightfold and the post-punk-grunge epilogue of the title track.
The only things I am not crazy about are the cover artwork and the production. The work produced on their previous self titled LP by the illustrious Gil Norton is a perfect thing to my ears. The band actually passed on working with Butch Vig for that record; that’s how big they are.
I still cannot believe I had never heard of Violent Soho and am very thankful for them coming to my attention, not only because of the remembrance of my indie years, but mainly for discovering something new with an older cool touch and with a rocking punch to the face. “Hungry Ghost”, even almost a year old now, is definitely a fantastic record and one that is very difficult for literally anyone to dislike.
About the Author
Erik Ghint Athens, Greece PWV role : Reviewer Erik was born and has always lived in Athens, Greece. Terrible place but good weather. Studied law and played music on the side, now is a part time lawyer and part time punk rocker. Split personalities are his thing. Still listens to punk rock after 20 years, loves discovering new bands and is nostalgic about punk rock of the nineties. Diss him about his reviews @ https://www.facebook.com/bandage.punkrock.3
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