Reviewed by:
sweetpeasuzie, on march 29, 2008
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Sound: Have you been wondering what has happened to British metal bands? Fear no more, London’s rock quintet Imperial Vipers has answered the calling and they are not only after the UK but they want to reach out to fans of every ethnicity that has metal rock in their blood. Their latest release Searching: Falling: Silence shows history and modern agility in their chord swings. The dark, dungeon-like echoes of “Promise Land” are reminiscent of Iron Maiden, while the conflagrations of punk rock and guitar metal spikes lancing through “Jewels” are relatable to The Misfits. The band recorded an excellent acoustic version of “Jewels” that can be heard on their myspace site (myspace.com/imperialvipers). Imperial Vipers offer mid-tempo guitar blazes in tracks like “The Dirt (Part 2)” and “In Chains” which flicker with a sweet melodic timing. Pools of soft rock wavelets and beefy tsunamis inflate “Living In My Veins,” while the hard rock gusts of “Hard To Smile” and “My Number” stay elevated throughout the entire tracks with a metal sonorous reflective of Alice In Chains. The soft rock tempo of “Sun Dissolves” has a bluesy coating in the guitar riffs which may remind you of L.A. Guns. Quite a bit of Imperial Vipers music has correlations to L.A. Guns, particularly in “Streets Of California,” but then L.A. Guns lead singer Phil Lewis is British so maybe there is something to substantiate that perception. You can detect influences of British and American metal factions in Imperial Vipers music. The fusion of the two methodologies blurs the line that keeps them delineated and also unifies the metal community in a way that allows the genre to survive and strive. Searching: Falling: Silence does more than manufacture and re-package metal punk rock, the band really lives and breaths the music that they make. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics vent out emotions with both fists in the air and vocals scorching the earth. The lyrics for “Kick A Hole” resound, “New roads they unfold, they break bones and crush souls/ Come right up to my door/ First I’m gonna kick a hole straight through the…/Rising above, I’ve had enough? / I take so much more/ First I’m gonna kick a hole straight through the floor/ Well I know where I’m from, I’m soon saying so long/ It’s ok, got control, living with the demons call them rock and roll.” Imperial Vipers show their chops in their guitar flames and rhythmic trundles but they also have them in their vocals, which really come out just as strong and fiery as the music is. // 9
Impression: Imperial Vipers album Searching: Falling: Silence allows audiences to expend their energy. The music heats up their blood and stokes their passion. Band members Ashley Simmons (lead vocals), Wevs (guitar), Corky (guitars), Andrew Weatherly (bass), and Scott Cowell (drums) show a genuine sense of rock and roll with raw punk jabs and a fiery voicing. If metal rock is going to have another coming, Imperial Vipers rightful place is on the frontline. // 9
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