Album Review: Vice - Three Fingers Up


Vice is a band that has been around for quite some time, with their debut album being released back in 1989. And yet I somehow have managed to have never heard of them. So when their new album "3 Fingers Up" hit my review list, it was with no opinion of the band that I hit play on the first track, "Shitty Shituation" (an anthemic hard-rocker, if I've heard one!). From the first notes I knew that I had stumbled on something that I hadn't heard in years: good, heavy, party rock.

The music on this album is heavy, but serves the songs very well. The drums are a pounding reminder of how hard rock used to be way back in the day. The bass guitar fills out the rhythm section beautifully, and the duo may be one of the best rhythm sections that I have heard in a while. The guitar player is excellent at his craft, and reminds me a little bit of 90's era Kiss. And finally, the vocals are fantastic, and I'm pleased to say, there is no grunting growls here. Just good, clean vocals. There are some damned fine vocal harmonies as well, which is something that I have always appreciated.

The songs run from hard rock, to very pleasing meloic rock. Lyrically, while this album would fit well with some of the so-called hair metal bands of the 80's, musically I think that this disc puts an exciting, and fresh take on the songs of that long ago era.

Some of the stand out songs on my first listen are this disc are "The Jerk" (I've always been a sucker for the more melodically driven songs), "Multiply Show", the title track, the gritty vocals of "Dreaming About You", the cover of "I Hate Myself For Loving You", and the beautiful album closing ballad "What Will You Do".

Overall, I really enjoyed listening to this album. The songs were a lot of fun, and the band are obviously very talented. With radio in the United States avoiding anything verging on good music, this is one band that radio stations should stop and take notice of. It's a band capable of writing a good song, and playing their own instruments, even if they are criminally overlooked over here.

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The album comes out on September 13th.

VICE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vicerock/
VICE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vice_rock_
VICE Home: https://vice-live.com/ 

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