Given the bands name it is highly unlikely you will be hearing selected tracks from Valley Of The Sluts debut album "Rise Of The Slut" spilling forth from any of the mainstream rock radio shows anytime soon but then what is the mainstreams loss is most definitely the underground's gain, V.O.T.S, Ela (bass); Eli (guitar); Judy (drums) and Mene (vocals), jam a groove that blends alternative metal with aspects of heavy stoner rock and doom, a sound that they have described as "drawing inspiration from the world of the occult" while also reflecting their "lived experiences and strong feminist identity".
Opening/title track "Rise Of The Slut (Intro)" lasts for just sixty seconds but nevertheless leaves a lasting impression, the songs folkish vocal harmonies, accompanied by what sounds like a church organ, possess a haunting quality that stays with you long, long after the song finally fades into silence. Next track "Mistress In Training" uses those same sublime atmospherics for its intro but then slams into a fractured heavy stoner groove over which clean, slightly ethereal, slightly gothic vocals demand "your money" and "your soul". The "alternative" side of V.O.T.S' sound is pushed to the fore on the exquisitely exotic "Lonely Road", a song that sees guitarist Eli interspersing thrumming riffs with elegant arpeggios and eastern flavoured motifs beneath which Ela's bass and Judy's drums deliver a battery of loud/quiet/loud dynamics, Mene levelling things up with an effortlessly undulating vocal. "Red Sea Waves" is an off-centred blend of just behind the beat alt-reggae metal and blustering heavy stoner rock over which vocals are a trade off between clean and powerful and harsh and husky. V.O.T.S bring a mixture of swaggering Sabbathian chug'n'roll and restrained and moody grunginess to the table for "Cut Without Blood" while "Two Moons" sees the band fully embracing their occult rock side "Six Feet Under" employs thrumming riffage and thunderous rhythms to frame a surprisingly easy on the ear vocal melody but then muddy up the waters by twinning that melody with a return of those harsh and husky tones. Finally we get to "Suffering From Success" a song where we find fuzzy guitar refrains and punchy drumming creating a platform for a ridiculously catchy vocal melody, the song boasting a slightly pop-punk dynamic but one that does not detract from its enjoyability.
#Those who opted for the "deluxe" version of the album posted on the bands Bandcamp page also get the demo versions of "Mistress In Training" and "Lonely Road" plus an acoustic (Dirt Road) version of "Lonely Road" more surprising though will be the inclusion of the doubleshot reimagined version of "Red Sea Waves" which has a New Order (English rock band who integrate post-punk with electronic and dance music) feel in places.
Valley Of The Slut's "Rise Of The Slut" is one of those albums you sometimes come across where the artwork is impressive and what you have read about it is interesting but there is still something that leaves you unsure of whether it's really going to be your thing. Well if that is your mindset do not make the mistake Desert Psychlist nearly made by passing over this gem without taking a listen. What you will find beneath that artwork is a more than impressive band playing heavy music of real depth and vision, a band that explores many of the same themes explored by other bands in this field but approaches those themes from wholly different angle.
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