Album, Single and EP Reviews


 

 

  Virus by The Unkindness of Ravens


Virus cover art

Artist: The Unkindness of Ravens
Title: Virus
Catalogue Number: Sonic Fire Records
Review Format: CD
Release Year: 2012



Setting the scene is what it is. Grinding electro powered disturbances to the space time continuum like these nine songs from the shadowy underground heroes The Unkindness of Ravens set the scene. They are the past midnight soundtrack that your common sense has long since advised you to ignore.
 
Stripped out but still infused with that relentless pounding beat and anguished to the point of stylised, cigarette smoking whilst emoting, vocals, this duo are something of an advert for reprehensible behaviour and, of course, they sound retro. A band like this has to sound retro. Mind you, they sound obsessional too. Nina Wagner sounds scary obsessional in “Virus”. Nina Wagner sounds scary obsessional in “You Should Know By Now”. Let’s face it, she just sounds scary obsessional. Not the kind of woman that you would take home to meet your mother. Your mother just wouldn’t get the enticed to your doom charms of “Das Gift” either and that’s a fact. Obsession is a far from simple thing.

As those guitars dirty themselves with cheap and nasty power chords, I’m lost again to the fuzz and sleaze of these past midnight meanderings to the robotic beat. “Virus” is the kind of album that makes the city at night seem like a holiday destination.


www.theunkindnessofravens.com
Reviewer:
Review Date: May 10 2012