Venus – the Roman goddess of love and beauty, fertility and prosperity, seduction and enticement, lures the lucky soul and never allows the object of desire to be free from her spell. Like the Venus flytrap, the band System Of Venus calls in the punters like the flytrap attracts flies. With siren-like melodies, the band ensures that the grip on fans’ aural sensibilities is so strong that they can never escape… nor do they want to.
Perhaps it’s a folly to wax lyrical about a band’s very first album, however many a first album has been a destiny-changer. Frustratingly we realize that this genre (heavy rock/metal) is part of what makes up a sub-culture and therefore may never get the airplay it deserves. Those in the know may unwittingly stumble on some of the dross that’s being passed off as new and innovative music, and we sigh because we know that bands like System Of Venus exist and that billions of people don’t get to hear them.
For the lucky ones who do hear such bands (and like them), we are treated to aural candy big-time. System of Venus has given us seven tracks on this self-titled album, and though that’s not many, all songs go for way longer than the standard three minutes. Log onto the band’s website and you can hear “Monster Ego” for ‘nix’. This is the third song from the album, and probably one of the least exciting so it’s a surprise the band is pushing this one. Lyrically and instrumentally accomplished, the song isn’t awful by a long shot, but the tempo doesn’t vary greatly.
By contrast, the first two songs from this recording, “Blackrock” and “Dancing In Hell’s Garden” are complex and full of riffs that draw the listener into the music. They progress through heavy sounds, haunting vocals, and punchy guitar, and before we know it the songs are done and we feel like we have been on a journey. Of particular note is the guitar riff at the end of “Hell’s Garden”… See if you can stop yourself from listening to that section on repeat.
Fatima, the vocalist sounds a lot like Rebecca Barnard but with a razor’s edge quality added to her vocal range. With some bands, it’s great when the vocals stop and you just get the awesome, strong music pounding through, but the mix is right here, and the vocals and music compliment each other well.
There is something on this LP for likers of metal, stoner rock, heavy rock, and melody.
The lyrics have meaning and the messages are of our time. The band has only been together for three years or so, but this offering is mature beyond the band’s short existence. System Of Venus should be well proud of its first recorded product.
System Of Venus: Facebook
Release Year: 2013
Label: self-released
Category: Album
Country: Australia
Reviewed by Sharon Brookes
