Reviews

From Larae, Darkness Embraced Top 100- I decided to come over and visit V and listen to your music at mp3.com. The first song I listened to was "Cry For Me No More" and it swept me away. Then, song after song, I became entirely enthralled with every song you had listed on mp3.com

This is absolutely one of the best bands I have come across. The lyrics speak alot of emotion and the melody..perfection. Love it!!! If only Warner Bros. could have signed your band on for the "Queen of the Damned" soundtrack, they would have faired much better. I was sincerely enraptured by the lyrics and sounds of V, that is something that doesn't happen to me too often. V has certainly been bestowed a talented gift of reaching the inner depths of the soul. When a band has the ability to do that, they got it all, and V definitely possesses that. I sincerely hope to see you all in D.C. sometime in the future. Until then, good luck to all of you, and thank you for finally putting something worth while out there.

When I first listened to this cd it gave me a sense of sadness. Slow and melodic sounds that invoke a calmness in you leaving you to wonder why one would be so sad. Each song seems to tell a different story with a common theme. The price you pay for immortality....and indeed the price others pay as well.

My favorite on this is Cry For Me No More. It has a ghostly cathedral sound that I would love to hear in person. The sadness is audible in the music but not the lyrics. The lyrics give off the feeling that whatever fate has befallen, it has been accepted.

Children of the Night is a little faster than the rest. An explination of what vampires are and what their life consists of. The same with Shadows, the title track and one of my favorites. This one gives you the idea of a vampires life when forced to live in the shadows watching those around him. The sader side of their reality.

The entire cd is slow paced and may not be for some. I liked it but that is the type of music I like. It's a small one with only 7 songs but I found the mysterious images it provokes is well worth it. The only thing I found missing was a wholeness that comes from an entire band. Perhaps in the near future there will be a remix of Shadows with the new sound found on Faces. I know I would be first in line to buy it.

This cd is by far heavier than the last and has a good start with the title track Faces and the second one They. The music seems more professional from the last and the lyrics don't hold the same sadness as in Shadows. The music is crisper and Christian's voice doesn't hold the same shyness as in Shadows. It's louder and more secure defining each word and seering it into your mind. Faces and They have a similar meaning and may be missed by most. If somone were to try and explain it to you you would never understand....so I'm not going to try. You just have to listen to it and if you don't get the meanings...you probably weren't meant to.

Dark Ecstacy at first listen for me was erotic and continues to be so. The music is ethereal and is only defined more by the poetic background of words. The words sting in your heart with the sadness that must be felt with understanding of a darkness that lies within. The only problem I had with it is it wasn't long enough.

Vampyre Serenade and Shadow of the Cross are the two slower songs on this one. I prefer Shadow of the Cross because of the message it's sending. The music compliments it so that it holds a similar poetic beauty as in Dark Ecstacy.

Kindred and In the Morning again tell the tale of vampires. The way others see them and what they must endure. The music is fast paced and compliment the words nicely. In Kindred we hear the range of Christians voice and also throughout the entire cd.

Razor's Edge is a tale of suicide. A last resort and the only way out of the pain. A melodic dance with a razor in which the razor wins. I loved the heaviness of this song. It reminds me of the wonderful metal bands of the 80's with an added darkness that leaves them lingering in your soul. The song of the razor just enhances it that much more.

Faces has a sharper and crisper sound and gives off a feeling that a band should have. A togetherness that without, you lack the magic that is needed to captivate your fans. And as we all know....what fun would it be to create without someone there to listen and appreciate what we have created.

How can I put this without sounding like an idolizing child? This album was nothing short of amazing. I found myself hooked from the very first song, which sports beautiful keyboard work coupled with a haunting guitar that chases the tune, building the character, forcing sadness at every turn. Enter the vocal track. Nothing more than a poetic verse that pushes this song over the top, making the listener elicit emotions that call up memories of everything loved and lost in life. I was hooked. I found myself shaking as the song ended and the vocal verse of "The mournful wailing of a lonely heart going unheard in the night" truly sums it up.

The next song, Faces, jumps this album to another level entirely. The intro is like a movie, until a ripping guitar is inserted, and it builds to a crashing crescendo as the other instruments jump in, all together, all on cue, as if directed by a conductor. This song, at close to 5 minutes long had me shadow dancing with an invisible partner, and the voice of the singer reached in and pulled my soul loose from my body.

I was struck not only by the unique sound of the song They, but by it's chilling forcefulness, put forth in a simplistic manner. The guitar riffs in this song are relatively simple, yet arranged in such a way as to accent the vocal work, which is forceful, perhaps too forceful for this vocalist. I felt at times that he was straining to hit some of the higher notes in this song. But don't let that scare you away from listening to it. The song begins with what can only be described as a death dirge, using deep sounding church bells, a pounding beat, and a lead-in intro. Not my favorite song on the album, but far from being the worst.

Vampire Serenade. Of all the songs on the album, this one just doesn't fit, doesn't seem to belong on an album of this majesty. If I had to pick a least favorite song on this album, this one is it. It's slow, and plodding, and while the vocals are beautiful, and the music is good, it takes away from the atmosphere created by the first three songs. At first I actually thought my CD player was malfunctioning and slipped onto something else entirely. This song was a disappointment for me.

Following Vampire Serenade, I was afraid that the mood was lost, but all was not lost! A heavy instrumental with hints of Judas priest follows called the Feed. Invigorating and fast, this song draws one into a head banging tance, and keeps you there, right through some wicked lead work, and pounding drums. My only complaint with this song is that it wasn't long enough, otherwise, this song rocks!

What gothic album would be complete without some kind of reference to Fallen Angels? The title of this song, Fallen Angel, at first appears to refer to the biblical sense, but produces another shocker, since this song is about love. The first verse, "Standing on a mountaintop, screaming out your name, to the stars in the sky, when will it ever stop, this immortal pain, and these tears in my eyes" to the chorus of "I only wanted life, all I found was pain, a broken heart that never dies...etc, etc" is an accurate depiction of the loss many feel in love. I loved this song, it bit deep.

Kindred. A fast driving melody of nothing but the life of a vampire. "We walk among you in the night, We are all gods by our own right, your species call us kindred, but we're just evil in your eyes.." says it all. how do humans interact and feel about the immortal vampire. You truly want to go out and rent a vampire flick after hearing this song.

Cane(Genesis 4:11) WOW! Beginning with a difficult drum beat, this song defies anything you have ever heard before. Over the music you hear what sounds like an evil presidential address quoting a variant of a bible passage. The songs rises to the occasion with voice overlays, haunting echoes, and more verse. Truly something different here.

Slwoing down just a bit, we come to a song that made me cry. Shadow of the cross is a song that elicits pain in your heart, making you wonder if life as you have lead it was done right. I get this image of a vampire, immortal and alone, kneeling in front of the Cross and cursing it, as it has cursed him. Beautiful vocals, one of the saddest leads I have ever heard, the kind that elicit enough emotion to rewind and listen again. Another masterpiece by V.

In case Shadow of the Cross didn't touch your heartstrings, they throw the next song In the Morning at you. By far my favorite song on the album, this song has it all. Awe inspiring vocals, beautiful, ethereal, dark and heavy music, touching lyrics, and the fastest guitar lead on the album. I fully expect to hear this song blasting out of my radio someday at work, because this is a chart topper. I listened to this song so many times, I know all the words by heart, and I know that you will love it too.

The final song, Razor's edge. A song about the unspoken reality and ugliness that resides amongst us. Suicide. This song begins with a phone call to the Suicide prevention Hotline, and ends in tragedy. Distorted vocals that seem to come from a bad dream, more of that fabulous guitar work, electronic screams, a heavy, industrial beat, a heart monitor, waves on the seashore(which seems to signify a bad dream), a driving, heavy rhythmic guitar that overpowers the entire song, and lends it the strength to break down to the final tragedy. This song is reminescent of Type-O paired with Dio, spooky, haunting, and finally sad with the tragedy of lost life. In short, this song rocks you to the brink of insanity and pushes you over.

Would I recommend that you buy this album? Damn right I would. I could not be more happy that this album has found it's way into my collection. This is absolutely one of the best new bands I have ever heard and I look to see them going on to great things in the future. If I can't turn on my TV and see this band on Mtv someday, something is dreadfully wrong with the music industry. I would pay to travel and see them in concert and might fall dangerously close to being labeled a groupie. I have already burned a copy of this album for my car so I will never be without access to it. Look for great things from this band, I think they will stun the world, and not just the goth community since many of their songs would fit nicely into other genres. Remember the name V, I for one, will not forget it. If this band has any weaknesses, they aren't apparent or obvious. Buy this album and see for yourself.

“V” are made up of Christian Brak (Vocals, Guitar), Tattunigma (keyboards, backing vocals), Clayton Lemoine (drums), and Tom McCulloch (Rhythm Guitar). They describe themselves as a “Vampire” rock band. To be honest, most bands describing themselves as such leave me absolutely cold, you can only take so much grindcore and growled vocals before the whole thing becomes very silly indeed, the other half of vampire bands seem so obsessed with Anne Rice that their music becomes as insipid as any A.O.R band.

So what about “V”? Well, no grindcore here, when I first heard samples of the music my immediate thought was the more Folky side of Neil Young (Christian’s voice has the same high pitched lilt, though this may be left over from his country days as a younger man). This simile though, definitely holds true for the first two tracks of the album, “Price of Forever” and “Cry for me No More”. Both gentle and drifting acoustic pieces which do deliver the “haunting beauty” they promise in their press pack.

Track three (“The Hunt”) brings in a mean guitar solo that clearly shows some routes there in early eighties rock, this coupled with the moaning woman sampled in over the top and some underproduced drums didn’t do much for me to be honest, far too straight rock and lacking the voice of Mr Brak which really makes the previous two songs. Personally I found it completely superfluous to the album and it completely broke the mood.

“Can’t Go On” returns to the acoustic guitar, loses the drums and lets us relax with “that” voice and some nice country twangs in the background. Very evocative of deserts and a nice piece of Alt.country, has some very strong overtones of “Hotel California” by the Eagles in it, which dependant on your idea of music is either a very good thing or a very bad thing. I liked it myself.

We stay in acoustic territory for “Tonight” which remains firmly in the Alt. Country mould. For people familiar with “Willard Grant Conspiracy” you’d probably find a lot of similarities between them and “V” (V could do with some of the many instruments used by WGC, at times I was longing to hear a fiddle or a Hammond, the band do have a keyboard player but I didn’t hear much of him and the slower tracks are crying out for atmospherics.). The touch of reverb on the vocals in this track occasionally sent a chill down my spine and the understated drums really suit the downbeat mood of the track, as does the touch of distortion brought in later, though personally I would have faded it sooner and lost the needless guitar solo which left a nasty aftertaste of eighties rock. On listening to this album the feel is of deserts and of the ageless, unfortunately I didn’t get a lyric sheet with this record so I can’t comment on what’s being said.

“Children of the Night” starts with the wailing of a baby and returns to a more “Rock” direction. For me it doesn’t work. Christian Brak has a lovely voice that does wonders with a laid back beat and a beaten old acoustic but doesn’t seem nearly as comfortable with this rock track, it’s also done to a plodding standard rock four-four that really doesn’t do it any favours. Unfortunately, the cliché of the title matches the cliché of the song.

“Shadows” the final track on this album is another acoustic. This time, the fact the drums are kept so simple works well within the track, as a whole the band seem more comfortable with the slower tracks on the album. “Shadows” has the ubiquitous guitar solo, which seems needless, or it may be that the distorted guitar seems too much within the structure of the song (the same motif recurs later and works well when it’s lower down in the mix). The double tracking on the vocals is another Neil Young-ish touch that really helps the song along.

The bands press release says “The music is what they call Cathedral Rock with gothic undertones. It’s captivating and magickal (sic)…and at times, will leave you breathless.” I can’t agree with that, Cathedral Rock is misleading as it implies something grandiose and powerful which “V” are not. They do however, have some very good tracks on ”Shadows”, the band have a good grasp of a tune and really excel at the slower numbers. They also describe this record as a “Goth” album, which is another misnomer, it’s more the of mellower side of Alt.Country (which is another form of music I love and one equally dark, if not darker than any Goth band.) The vampire theme doesn’t really come across that strongly, there is a sense of eternity but it’s more the common sense of eternity that runs through all good country music. Without a lyric sheet it’s very difficult to tell.

Would I recommend it to you? Depends on the price, I don’t think that it’s fair to describe this as an album as it comes in at under half an hour of music and, for me, two of the tracks would be on permanent skip as I don’t think they are up to much. But, if it’s at a low price then yes, get it, the slow tracks are really good and great for a night in with your loved one a bottle of red (Mwhahahahah, etc.). I’m looking forward to the next release to see where they go from here.


	V \| home Music \| Order Page \| Contact Us \| Bio \| Reviews \| The Tour Bus \| Fan Page \| Scrapbook 2 \| Scrapbook \| V Merchandise \| Band Pictures \| News and updates Reviews From Larae, Darkness Embraced Top 100- I decided to come over and visit V and listen to your music at mp3.com. The first song I listened to was "Cry For Me No More" and it swept me away. Then, song after song, I became entirely enthralled with every song you had listed on mp3.com This is absolutely one of the best bands I have come across. The lyrics speak alot of emotion and the melody..perfection. Love it!!! If only Warner Bros. could have signed your band on for the "Queen of the Damned" soundtrack, they would have faired much better. I was sincerely enraptured by the lyrics and sounds of V, that is something that doesn't happen to me too often. V has certainly been bestowed a talented gift of reaching the inner depths of the soul. When a band has the ability to do that, they got it all, and V definitely possesses that. I sincerely hope to see you all in D.C. sometime in the future. Until then, good luck to all of you, and thank you for finally putting something worth while out there. From Crimson Angel, Bloody Kisses, Ratings and Reviews- "V" -- Shadows When I first listened to this cd it gave me a sense of sadness. Slow and melodic sounds that invoke a calmness in you leaving you to wonder why one would be so sad. Each song seems to tell a different story with a common theme. The price you pay for immortality....and indeed the price others pay as well. Price of Forever is a haunting tale of love with an immortal. Beautiful and deep. A good beginning to the story. My favorite on this is Cry For Me No More. It has a ghostly cathedral sound that I would love to hear in person. The sadness is audible in the music but not the lyrics. The lyrics give off the feeling that whatever fate has befallen, it has been accepted. The Hunt is strickly instrumental with a few moans and groans. It's by far the heaviest song on this cd giving the listener a break out of the sadness. It's a welcomed change of pace. Can't Go On is a rendition of a love gone bad. He's feeling bad for the pain he's caused...the pain that caused her to leave and is saying that he shouldn't feel the pain anymore. Tonight is a vow of forever. Heart, soul, mind, and body. Children of the Night is a little faster than the rest. An explination of what vampires are and what their life consists of. The same with Shadows, the title track and one of my favorites. This one gives you the idea of a vampires life when forced to live in the shadows watching those around him. The sader side of their reality. Waiting on the sunrise, so I can go to sleep. Escaping for a short time. Eternal tears I weep....in Shadows. Those last lines sum the entire thing up rather nicely. The entire cd is slow paced and may not be for some. I liked it but that is the type of music I like. It's a small one with only 7 songs but I found the mysterious images it provokes is well worth it. The only thing I found missing was a wholeness that comes from an entire band. Perhaps in the near future there will be a remix of Shadows with the new sound found on Faces. I know I would be first in line to buy it. To sum it all up...check these guys out. Visit their site and listen for yourself. I have no doubt....you won't be disappointed. "V" -- Faces This cd is by far heavier than the last and has a good start with the title track Faces and the second one They. The music seems more professional from the last and the lyrics don't hold the same sadness as in Shadows. The music is crisper and Christian's voice doesn't hold the same shyness as in Shadows. It's louder and more secure defining each word and seering it into your mind. Faces and They have a similar meaning and may be missed by most. If somone were to try and explain it to you you would never understand....so I'm not going to try. You just have to listen to it and if you don't get the meanings...you probably weren't meant to. Dark Ecstacy at first listen for me was erotic and continues to be so. The music is ethereal and is only defined more by the poetic background of words. The words sting in your heart with the sadness that must be felt with understanding of a darkness that lies within. The only problem I had with it is it wasn't long enough. Vampyre Serenade and Shadow of the Cross are the two slower songs on this one. I prefer Shadow of the Cross because of the message it's sending. The music compliments it so that it holds a similar poetic beauty as in Dark Ecstacy. The Feed is instrumental as is was The Hunt on Shadows. The Feed is more defined and shows the growth and maturity of the band as a whole. Fallen Angel is also of a slower pace and could be called a ballad but a little faster than what you would expect a ballad to be. In my opinion it's the lyrics that give off that feeling. Kindred and In the Morning again tell the tale of vampires. The way others see them and what they must endure. The music is fast paced and compliment the words nicely. In Kindred we hear the range of Christians voice and also throughout the entire cd. Cain is another of my favorites. I loved the heaviness of the music and the lyrics are simple but hold a very heavy message. Razor's Edge is a tale of suicide. A last resort and the only way out of the pain. A melodic dance with a razor in which the razor wins. I loved the heaviness of this song. It reminds me of the wonderful metal bands of the 80's with an added darkness that leaves them lingering in your soul. The song of the razor just enhances it that much more. Faces has a sharper and crisper sound and gives off a feeling that a band should have. A togetherness that without, you lack the magic that is needed to captivate your fans. And as we all know....what fun would it be to create without someone there to listen and appreciate what we have created. As I said with Shadows.....check these guys out. If you liked Shadows then you will love Faces. And if you didn't like Shadows....then give Faces a try. From Julia Blythe, Gothix Review- Review of Faces. How can I put this without sounding like an idolizing child? This album was nothing short of amazing. I found myself hooked from the very first song, which sports beautiful keyboard work coupled with a haunting guitar that chases the tune, building the character, forcing sadness at every turn. Enter the vocal track. Nothing more than a poetic verse that pushes this song over the top, making the listener elicit emotions that call up memories of everything loved and lost in life. I was hooked. I found myself shaking as the song ended and the vocal verse of "The mournful wailing of a lonely heart going unheard in the night" truly sums it up. The next song, Faces, jumps this album to another level entirely. The intro is like a movie, until a ripping guitar is inserted, and it builds to a crashing crescendo as the other instruments jump in, all together, all on cue, as if directed by a conductor. This song, at close to 5 minutes long had me shadow dancing with an invisible partner, and the voice of the singer reached in and pulled my soul loose from my body. I was struck not only by the unique sound of the song They, but by it's chilling forcefulness, put forth in a simplistic manner. The guitar riffs in this song are relatively simple, yet arranged in such a way as to accent the vocal work, which is forceful, perhaps too forceful for this vocalist. I felt at times that he was straining to hit some of the higher notes in this song. But don't let that scare you away from listening to it. The song begins with what can only be described as a death dirge, using deep sounding church bells, a pounding beat, and a lead-in intro. Not my favorite song on the album, but far from being the worst. Vampire Serenade. Of all the songs on the album, this one just doesn't fit, doesn't seem to belong on an album of this majesty. If I had to pick a least favorite song on this album, this one is it. It's slow, and plodding, and while the vocals are beautiful, and the music is good, it takes away from the atmosphere created by the first three songs. At first I actually thought my CD player was malfunctioning and slipped onto something else entirely. This song was a disappointment for me. Following Vampire Serenade, I was afraid that the mood was lost, but all was not lost! A heavy instrumental with hints of Judas priest follows called the Feed. Invigorating and fast, this song draws one into a head banging tance, and keeps you there, right through some wicked lead work, and pounding drums. My only complaint with this song is that it wasn't long enough, otherwise, this song rocks! What gothic album would be complete without some kind of reference to Fallen Angels? The title of this song, Fallen Angel, at first appears to refer to the biblical sense, but produces another shocker, since this song is about love. The first verse, "Standing on a mountaintop, screaming out your name, to the stars in the sky, when will it ever stop, this immortal pain, and these tears in my eyes" to the chorus of "I only wanted life, all I found was pain, a broken heart that never dies...etc, etc" is an accurate depiction of the loss many feel in love. I loved this song, it bit deep. Kindred. A fast driving melody of nothing but the life of a vampire. "We walk among you in the night, We are all gods by our own right, your species call us kindred, but we're just evil in your eyes.." says it all. how do humans interact and feel about the immortal vampire. You truly want to go out and rent a vampire flick after hearing this song. Cane(Genesis 4:11) WOW! Beginning with a difficult drum beat, this song defies anything you have ever heard before. Over the music you hear what sounds like an evil presidential address quoting a variant of a bible passage. The songs rises to the occasion with voice overlays, haunting echoes, and more verse. Truly something different here. Slwoing down just a bit, we come to a song that made me cry. Shadow of the cross is a song that elicits pain in your heart, making you wonder if life as you have lead it was done right. I get this image of a vampire, immortal and alone, kneeling in front of the Cross and cursing it, as it has cursed him. Beautiful vocals, one of the saddest leads I have ever heard, the kind that elicit enough emotion to rewind and listen again. Another masterpiece by V. In case Shadow of the Cross didn't touch your heartstrings, they throw the next song In the Morning at you. By far my favorite song on the album, this song has it all. Awe inspiring vocals, beautiful, ethereal, dark and heavy music, touching lyrics, and the fastest guitar lead on the album. I fully expect to hear this song blasting out of my radio someday at work, because this is a chart topper. I listened to this song so many times, I know all the words by heart, and I know that you will love it too. The final song, Razor's edge. A song about the unspoken reality and ugliness that resides amongst us. Suicide. This song begins with a phone call to the Suicide prevention Hotline, and ends in tragedy. Distorted vocals that seem to come from a bad dream, more of that fabulous guitar work, electronic screams, a heavy, industrial beat, a heart monitor, waves on the seashore(which seems to signify a bad dream), a driving, heavy rhythmic guitar that overpowers the entire song, and lends it the strength to break down to the final tragedy. This song is reminescent of Type-O paired with Dio, spooky, haunting, and finally sad with the tragedy of lost life. In short, this song rocks you to the brink of insanity and pushes you over. Would I recommend that you buy this album? Damn right I would. I could not be more happy that this album has found it's way into my collection. This is absolutely one of the best new bands I have ever heard and I look to see them going on to great things in the future. If I can't turn on my TV and see this band on Mtv someday, something is dreadfully wrong with the music industry. I would pay to travel and see them in concert and might fall dangerously close to being labeled a groupie. I have already burned a copy of this album for my car so I will never be without access to it. Look for great things from this band, I think they will stun the world, and not just the goth community since many of their songs would fit nicely into other genres. Remember the name V, I for one, will not forget it. If this band has any weaknesses, they aren't apparent or obvious. Buy this album and see for yourself. From Robert James Barker, Bloodlust.uk- Review. Shadows by “V” “V” are made up of Christian Brak (Vocals, Guitar), Tattunigma (keyboards, backing vocals), Clayton Lemoine (drums), and Tom McCulloch (Rhythm Guitar). They describe themselves as a “Vampire” rock band. To be honest, most bands describing themselves as such leave me absolutely cold, you can only take so much grindcore and growled vocals before the whole thing becomes very silly indeed, the other half of vampire bands seem so obsessed with Anne Rice that their music becomes as insipid as any A.O.R band. So what about “V”? Well, no grindcore here, when I first heard samples of the music my immediate thought was the more Folky side of Neil Young (Christian’s voice has the same high pitched lilt, though this may be left over from his country days as a younger man). This simile though, definitely holds true for the first two tracks of the album, “Price of Forever” and “Cry for me No More”. Both gentle and drifting acoustic pieces which do deliver the “haunting beauty” they promise in their press pack. Track three (“The Hunt”) brings in a mean guitar solo that clearly shows some routes there in early eighties rock, this coupled with the moaning woman sampled in over the top and some underproduced drums didn’t do much for me to be honest, far too straight rock and lacking the voice of Mr Brak which really makes the previous two songs. Personally I found it completely superfluous to the album and it completely broke the mood. “Can’t Go On” returns to the acoustic guitar, loses the drums and lets us relax with “that” voice and some nice country twangs in the background. Very evocative of deserts and a nice piece of Alt.country, has some very strong overtones of “Hotel California” by the Eagles in it, which dependant on your idea of music is either a very good thing or a very bad thing. I liked it myself. We stay in acoustic territory for “Tonight” which remains firmly in the Alt. Country mould. For people familiar with “Willard Grant Conspiracy” you’d probably find a lot of similarities between them and “V” (V could do with some of the many instruments used by WGC, at times I was longing to hear a fiddle or a Hammond, the band do have a keyboard player but I didn’t hear much of him and the slower tracks are crying out for atmospherics.). The touch of reverb on the vocals in this track occasionally sent a chill down my spine and the understated drums really suit the downbeat mood of the track, as does the touch of distortion brought in later, though personally I would have faded it sooner and lost the needless guitar solo which left a nasty aftertaste of eighties rock. On listening to this album the feel is of deserts and of the ageless, unfortunately I didn’t get a lyric sheet with this record so I can’t comment on what’s being said. “Children of the Night” starts with the wailing of a baby and returns to a more “Rock” direction. For me it doesn’t work. Christian Brak has a lovely voice that does wonders with a laid back beat and a beaten old acoustic but doesn’t seem nearly as comfortable with this rock track, it’s also done to a plodding standard rock four-four that really doesn’t do it any favours. Unfortunately, the cliché of the title matches the cliché of the song. “Shadows” the final track on this album is another acoustic. This time, the fact the drums are kept so simple works well within the track, as a whole the band seem more comfortable with the slower tracks on the album. “Shadows” has the ubiquitous guitar solo, which seems needless, or it may be that the distorted guitar seems too much within the structure of the song (the same motif recurs later and works well when it’s lower down in the mix). The double tracking on the vocals is another Neil Young-ish touch that really helps the song along. The bands press release says “The music is what they call Cathedral Rock with gothic undertones. It’s captivating and magickal (sic)…and at times, will leave you breathless.” I can’t agree with that, Cathedral Rock is misleading as it implies something grandiose and powerful which “V” are not. They do however, have some very good tracks on ”Shadows”, the band have a good grasp of a tune and really excel at the slower numbers. They also describe this record as a “Goth” album, which is another misnomer, it’s more the of mellower side of Alt.Country (which is another form of music I love and one equally dark, if not darker than any Goth band.) The vampire theme doesn’t really come across that strongly, there is a sense of eternity but it’s more the common sense of eternity that runs through all good country music. Without a lyric sheet it’s very difficult to tell. Would I recommend it to you? Depends on the price, I don’t think that it’s fair to describe this as an album as it comes in at under half an hour of music and, for me, two of the tracks would be on permanent skip as I don’t think they are up to much. But, if it’s at a low price then yes, get it, the slow tracks are really good and great for a night in with your loved one a bottle of red (Mwhahahahah, etc.). I’m looking forward to the next release to see where they go from here.