Created just last year with members of two previous local bands Mothership and The Push, Rui, Marcus, Matt, Ash and Josh have come together to create, in my humble opinion, one of the best bands to come out of the local area for a while. This is a band that has grown steadily more popular, both locally and further afield as they have been touring up and down the country. Firmly established in Glam Rock territory; they have their roots in traditional, good old fashioned Rock ‘n’ Roll but with a modern spin.
The EP has been widely anticipated for some time and I have heard the band being compared several times to Steel Panther. As I’m not a big SP fan I wouldn’t care to comment, but either way this is a CD that you can stick on when you’re feeling a bit crap and it will perk you up instantly as it’s feel-good and fun. I delayed reviewing it because their last gig blew me away and I wanted to let it fade from my memory a bit before looking objectively at the CD.
There are seven tracks on the CD (Seven Deadly Sins, get it?! Check out the promo video below). It all kicks off with an opening salvo of “Last Goodnight”. This reminds me of something and it took a while to figure out what it was. Eventually I realised that the vocals conjure up a comparison to 90’s band Annihilator, albeit a slightly less heavy version.
Second track “Animal” has a good, strong guitar intro and it kicks along at a fairly frenetic pace. This is ‘sleaze’ Rock at its finest and there is some awesome guitar work in the middle.
The intro to “Judgement Day” reminds me of Def Leppard, but it has an infectious riff and is a big track which somewhat harks back to 80’s Metal. In fact, a lot of this EP takes me back to yesteryear; although it is unmistakeably 2014. It has serious elements of old school but it manages not to be cheesy, merely a little bit tongue-in-cheek. “Feed the Fire” is another such track, with raunchy guitar harmonics all over the shop. I defy anyone to sit still whilst they’re listening to it.
Next up is “Goodbye” which starts off slowly, almost ballad-like; but it builds up into a big chorus. There is a soulful guitar solo to provide some atmosphere; I can almost see in my mind’s eye a cheeky, parody “November Rain-esque” video to go with it.
“On Top of my World” starts off with a drum intro, with guitars screaming in. It’s a fast-paced aural orgasm, with some top notch musicianship and vocals and it’s one of the most mature tracks on the EP.
Saints Of Sin have saved the best for last and “Burn The Clubs Down” is probably my favourite SOS song. It’s a very strong track live and always gets people moving; I would go so far as to say it’s an anthem and it really sticks in the brain. It’s a strong track, with a good hook and a blistering guitar solo.
Overall, Saints Of Sin’s debut is a fun; Glam-Rock, feel-good extravaganza of songs that work really well in a live set. However, I almost feel that it doesn’t do the band justice as they are so amazing on stage. If you listen to “Seven Deadly Sins” before you’ve been to see a gig, don’t make any judgements because SOS have to be seen live to fully get what they’re about. There are some blinding tracks on this EP though and I would definitely recommend that you add it to your collection.
Line Up
Rui Brito – Vocals
Marcus Jenkins – Lead guitar
Matt Spencer – Guitar
Josh Rose – Drums
Ashley Jenkins – Bass
Track listing
Last Goodnight
Animal
Judgement Day
Feed The Fire
Goodbye
On Top of My World
Burn The Clubs Down
Links
http://www.saintsofsin.co.uk
http://www.facebook.com/saintsofsinuk
By Vikkie Richmond
