The Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Bag Of Meat (Album Review)
Tuesday, 02 August 2011
Written by Craig Willis
Once again it's the same old story of don't judge an act by the name. The Victorian English Gentlemens Club are not really what I expected. The name suggests violins and pianos or at least some kind of stomping jigs. But none of this can be found here.
What can be found is high pitched vocals, screeching guitars and a heavy rhythm section. It's an art house rock vibe thats very trendy right now so any fans of Foals or Two Door Cinema club should probably check them out.
Some of their influences are quite obvious. The band say they've been listening to Grinderman, which is evident in their music. Personally I would say The Victorian English Gentlemens Club sound a bit like The Raconteurs or Dead Weather.
This three piece outfit of pop rockers are based in Cardiff and have been on the scene since 2006, when they released their debut, self title album. Now they return with their third release and according to the band the new album is darker and heavier than the previous albums. It certainly isn't radio friendly stuff but none the less it is extremely interesting and worth a listen if you like your rock a little bit quirky.
Highlights on this album include the title track 'Bag of Meat'. Certainly not the punchiest of tracks but an excellent introduction to the kind of thing you will hear on the rest of the album. One of my other favourites tracks has to be 'As Jungle Drums Rang Across The Amazon (We held Our Heads And Screamed)'. Which not only must hold the record for longest title of a song ever, but also has more of a rocky edge, crunching guitars and catchy lyrics.
Disappointing, all 11 tracks are less than three minutes long. It certainly seems like there is more to this band than meets the eye but just not enough here to find out what. Seems to me like things need a little more production and tightening up, but I don't think that's what these guys are going for. They want their sound noisy, wild and eccentric and when it come down to it, thats what they deliver.
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Highlights on this album include the title track 'Bag of Meat'. Certainly not the punchiest of tracks but an excellent introduction to the kind of thing you will hear on the rest of the album. One of my other favourites tracks has to be 'As Jungle Drums Rang Across The Amazon (We held Our Heads And Screamed)'. Which not only must hold the record for longest title of a song ever, but also has more of a rocky edge, crunching guitars and catchy lyrics.
