Valient Thorr

Ah, that the term "lost in translation” didn’t exist. Unfortunately it’s the only way of describing this offering from otherwise steadily ass-kicking dirt rockers Valient Thorr. Proposed to have come from another world and weaned into our culture on a steady diet of Thin Lizzy and Southern rock, it’s no wonder that this crew of bearded miscreants look like something that should have stepped off of a McCoy front porch. And to see them deliver upbeat boogie-based rock’n’roll with reckless abandon live is an experience like no other. Sadly, while beats and crushing guitars are always transferable to CD, energy isn’t. In what feels like an uneasy effort to achieve sonic perfection, the band have succeeded in sucking the vitality and testosterone out of Legend of the World leaving tracks such as "Rezerection,” "Goveruptcy” and "False Profits” reeking of ability not delivery. It’s comparable to Motörhead striving to get every not spot-on instead of just rockin’ the fuck out, warts and all. After all, the warts are what make rock’n’roll so alluring… right, Lemmy?