Valkyrie - Fear review
| Band: | Valkyrie |
| Album: | Fear |
| Style: | Doom metal, Heavy metal |
| Release date: | July 2020 |
01. Feeling So Low
02. Afraid To Live
03. Lovebird
04. The Choice
05. Fear And Sacrifice
06. Brings You Down
07. Evil Eye
08. Exasperator
It's been three years already since the departure of Peter Adams from Baroness, so I guess it was time for a new Valkyrie album. Fronted by the Adams brothers, the band has been around since the early '00s but they never seemed to be under pressure to constantly release new material.
Valkyrie play a mix of proto-metal and various types of rock (southern, hard, stoner, doom, and even blues at times). The pace of the album is laid back and leisurely, taking its time and not hurrying to get anywhere. It is slightly more progressive than before and with riffs that are doomy most of the time, with the heaviness lying significantly on the bass rather than on the guitars.
The lead guitar work is remarkable and the instrumental parts do stand out breathing life into the songs. However, the nature of the tracks makes them feel like they are going to all sorts of directions often without clear intent, with the exception of "Afraid To Live". While there are moments to enjoy, especially on the singles revealed before the album's release ("Feeling So Low", "The Choice", and "Evil Eye"), it is difficult to say that Fear remains interesting throughout. Obviously, the Adams brothers love solos and they use them a lot; in fact, at times they feel that they take the space where vocals could or should be but I don't complain. The reason why is that, while the soloing and the twin guitar melodies are exquisite and the only feature of the album that undoubtedly makes it worth listening to at least once, the vocals on the other hand are very unimpressive and a deal breaker for me personally, but I cannot imagine anyone arguing that they help elevate the album in any way.
On the positive side, the record sounds very organic and natural. The bass and the drums have enough room, and Alan Fary and Warren Hawkins both do nice things on here, even though the focus is undoubtedly on the guitar harmonies. The cover art is also very beautiful, like all Valkyrie covers in the past.
Fear sounds a lot like a jam session of Peter and Jake Adams, in which they called a couple of talented friends to help them with the rhythm section. With more focused songwriting and another vocalist, this album would have been much better because it is undeniable that the potential is there. As it is though, it will not change the face of music as we know it.
"Feeling so low
Trying to get through
Change is so slow
With the things that you do"
 | Written on 13.09.2020 by Only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud! |
Comments
Comments: 15
Visited by: 45 users
| RaduP CertifiedHipster Staff Posts: 8630  |
Was expecting the review itself to be more negative considering the score. This is indeed far from the best out there, but it's a bit more deserving of a higher score.
---- Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking One day there will be no heart at all?
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| nikarg Staff Posts: 7052  |
Written by RaduP on 14.09.2020 at 14:46 It's an album of nothing more than great solos that I am never going to listen to again. I believe that 5 is the best I could give it. It is not average to get a 6; it is simply not good (in my opinion, of course).
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| BCI Posts: 419  |
If a well produced album "with remarkable lead guitar work" (your words, not mine) deserves a 5, it only makes you come across as butthurt. Which is weird in many, many ways.
---- Black Crown Initiate have ruined a lot of bands for me...
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| nikarg Staff Posts: 7052 |
Written by BCI on 25.10.2021 at 07:11 Butthurt?  I have written many, many more words than the ones you singled out to warrant the final score. Unless you have a difficulty in reading comprehension, it should be clear to you.
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| BCI Posts: 419 |
Written by nikarg on 25.10.2021 at 10:19 So straight to the insults huh? You are right and who ever disagrees with you has reading difficulties? If this isn't proof that you come across as butthurt, then I don't know what to tell you pal. Keep reading and hopefully you'll get there. I don't like "joking" about reading difficulties, so best of luck to you.
---- Black Crown Initiate have ruined a lot of bands for me...
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| Zap Guest Posts: 3517  |
Written by BCI on 25.10.2021 at 07:11 5/10 is as middle of the road as you can get, so there are bound to be some positives, as well as some negatives. Good lead guitar work doesn’t automatically make an album good or great overall, so I really don’t see how it makes the reviewer “butthurt” when he points out some positive aspects on a 5/10 review.
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| musclassia Staff Posts: 7041  |
Written by BCI on 25.10.2021 at 14:44 The definition of butthurt is to be 'overly or unjustifiably offended or resentful'. I fail to see anywhere in the review where Nik was offended or resentful, or why he would have been. The review doesn't indicate any existing history, positive of negative, that Nik has with Valkyrie, nor am I aware of any, but he says fairly explicitly that the solos are exquisite, but that outside of them the songs feel directionless 'often without clear intent', and that the vocals are 'very unimpressive and a dealbreaker', both of which would be valid reasons to consider an album below average, even with very enjoyable solos. You're the person in this exchange that led with a manner that could be considered insulting by saying that he sounds butthurt. You feeling the need to make the initial comment to insinuate that he was butthurt, and describing his actions as 'weird in many, many ways', and then responding with 'straight to the insults?' when the response to your less-than-friendly comment was less than friendly, is the closest anything in this review or comment thread is to anything that could be described as 'butthurt'. But then, claiming 'straight to the insults' from some kind of position of superiority is a bit rich coming from someone with this interaction in their recent history: Written by BCI on 22.08.2021 at 08:45
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| BCI Posts: 419 |
😴 You guys are really bad at taking criticism. You should have a look at that. This isn't the first time it's been pointed out and not just by me but you are refusing to listen and always want to have to the last word. And as for the creepy example above I was challenged as to why I commented on something I wasn't a fan of. I take offense to that and my response was warranted.
---- Black Crown Initiate have ruined a lot of bands for me...
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| Karlabos Meat and Potatos Posts: 5658  |
---- "Aah! The cat turned into a cat!" - Reimu Hakurei
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| musclassia Staff Posts: 7041 |
Written by BCI on 25.10.2021 at 16:50 I mean, if you're trying to provide constructive criticism to someone in a good-intentioned manner, this isn't the way to go about it: Written by BCI on 25.10.2021 at 07:11 'butthurt' is a slang term that most people would agree to be rude to throw at a stranger; wiktionary goes so far as to describe it as 'derogatory'. It's not an insult, but it's not the actions of someone operating with good intentions, particularly when it's followed up with 'which is weird in many, many ways', so it's unsurprising that someone might challenge it rather than just accept it with friendship and grace, particularly if a) it's not actually an accurate claim, as there is nothing in the original review that indicates being offended or hurt by the album and actions of the band, and b) the same point (positive words about the guitar work vs. low score of the album) was already addressed in the review thread by the review author in response to a very similar, but less inflammatorily phrased, comment. We may be bad at taking criticism, butyou're not great at giving it. None of us who review for the site are infallible in accepting all comments that disagree with our reviews as absolute truths that we completely accept and agree with; however, as much as people who comment on reviews are entitled to voice their opinions with a review and objections to statements, we are entitled to debate those opinions, or to challenge those comments if we consider them to be unfounded or unreasonable, and we're not obligated to respond with politeness to those who are not acting in good faith. You've just said in your response that you were offended by someone asking you why you would comment on an album from a band you don't like, and that you were therefore warranted in acting in a manner that most people would consider to be rude and patronising, which is a reaction that's if anything closer to the definition of 'butthurt' than anything else currently on this page. If that's fine behaviour in your opinion, why is anyone obligated to act any more pleasantly to you in response to you talking rudely to them?
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| Redel Moderator Posts: 2057  |
Written by musclassia on 25.10.2021 at 17:38 MS staff may be bad at taking criticism at times (though I dont agree) but they are clearly excellent at phrasing their arguments.
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| nikarg Staff Posts: 7052 |
Written by BCI on 25.10.2021 at 14:44 It was not an insult because I was not joking.
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| BCI Posts: 419 |
Written by nikarg on 26.10.2021 at 08:35 Written by musclassia on 25.10.2021 at 17:38 Check out nikarg's last comment if you wanna talk about constructive criticism. I tried telling you about it but he (once again) proved my point for me. And all that from a mod. But you guys find it fair to gang up on visitors instead.
---- Black Crown Initiate have ruined a lot of bands for me...
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| nikarg Staff Posts: 7052 |
Written by BCI on 27.10.2021 at 07:04 Your idea of "constructive criticism" was to just say that I come across as "butthurt" because you didn't like a score in a review. You "tried telling" musclassia by replying with a sleep emoji to him, even though he was trying to have a discussion with you by presenting valid arguments. Yet you want the mod, or anyone else for that matter, to take you seriously. Let's get some perspective here. You are the one who insulted me with no reason whatsoever (not that I mind in the slightest). I insist that I did not insult you and you have actually been proving my point all along. The fact that I am a mod does not mean that I have the time or the appetite to deal with someone who clearly doesn't understand or doesn't want to understand. You are the one who started it all yet you say that we are all ganging up on you - the "innocent visitor" who did nothing wrong. You keep projecting your own disrespectful behavior to others, by being passive/aggressive and by pointing a finger that you should be pointing at yourself. I get it, you want to be the victim. You're not the first one and you won't be the last. I have come to accept this. You be you, mate. I've already spent much more time with this than I want or care to. And believe me when I say that I personally don't want to have the last word. To me, this is nothing more than a waste of my time. If I were a visitor like you, I wouldn't bother at all; I know better than to have an argument with a stranger on the internet. But sadly, you bring me to a position where I have to explain myself, as a mod, so that people reading your accusations do get both sides of the story.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
I love that a year-old review of a Valkyrie album somehow managed to stir up drama in the comments. On a related (to the publication) note: I feel the same about this album as you. There are some engaging moments and overall it isn't terrible, but it just fails to leave its mark. Peter had an innate chemistry with Baizley that he ironically lacks with his own flesh and blood.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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