Raunchy: Lars Vagastrup (vocals, sound effects); Jesper Andreas Lilsted (guitar, keyboards); Lars Christensen (guitar); Jesper Kuist (bass); Marten Intt Hansen (drums). Personnel: Lars Christensen (guitar). Audio Mixer: Jacob Hansen. Arranger: Raunchy. From Thisted, a tiny fishing town in Denmark, comes Raunchy, a five-piece, modern-sounding metal band featuring two guys named Lars: Lars Vognstrup on vocals and Lars Christensen on guitars. Raunchy has its metal side combining thundering death metal-style drums and shrieking monster-type vocals, but also its melodic side, at times sounding very much like an alternative rock band. It's a nice combination and the band is proficient in both genres, though maybe the alternative rock side of the band is a little more interesting. There's just a bit of a gothy vibe, too, on some songs, and occasionally industrial-style drums. There's no song that's really a standout, but the whole album is uniformly rockin'. The keyboards on "Leech" are an especially nice touch. Velvet Noise is a very impressive debut from a band worth keeping an eye on. ~ Adam Bregman
Reviews
CMJ (1/27/03, p.25) - "...With riffs fired off like a round of semiautomatic ammunition..."