The Hounds of Heaven
Virtue & Virginity
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
Here's a very bizarre record that is a conglomeration of styles, which includes very fast hardcore-edge slammin' and dark 'n' doomy hard rock. The wispy vocals of Nelson Di Marco are haunting and somewhat whimsical in tunes like "Death Trap." With each listen these hooks grab ahold of my attention a little bit harder. The first few songs that jumped right out at me due to heaviness was the fast and pumpin' "Quarter Mile," about drag racing on "the outlaw track"; and "The Monster in the Box," appropriately titled for its huge attack of vocals, staccato snare drumming and guitar distortion that all sounds a little like Ministry (the band, not the concept, per se). Chalk it up to Blonde Vinyl for another cool and creative edgy alternative band--with an appeal to hard rockers.