Ultra Violent Lights - Here in Filth
Rating
RIYL
Black Rebel Motorcycle ClubEcho & The Bunnymen
Queens of the Stone Age
Nirvana
Release Date
10/27/2009
Label
Command! RecordsTracklist
1. Skin & Bones2. Spiders Eat The Flies
3. Some Kind Of Season
4. Sleep Now
5. Here In Filth
6. In Lieu Of Pay
7. The Spell (NYC)
8. A Martyr In Me
9. Buried At The Bottom Of Silverlake
10. Thick As Thieves
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Ultra Violent Lights may very well be the “next big thing” in commercial rock, and if that’s the case, then we will all be better for it. Not since the early 90’s have I heard a debut record exuding so much confidence, swagger, and blatant rock star style. It may seem odd for the Brooklyn by way of Hollywood band to carry themselves in this way, seeing as how they are relatively unknown, but all that is about to change. With the digital release of their debut album Here in Filth arriving from Command! Records / Sidecho Media, the incredibly accessible rock fury of Ultra Violent Lights is primed for heavy rotation and potential praise. Their music is an amalgamation of the raw yet radio friendly grunge of Nirvana, the moody smarm of late 80’s / early 90’s Manchester scene, and the massive distorted guitars of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Hypnotic rhythms will swallow you in and corrosive guitars build the songs, but it’s the extremely catchy melodies that will have you singing along after just one listen. Produced by Aaron Rubin, the glossy finish never detracts from the sizzling energy but rather pounds out the speakers in crisp clarity with one firm statement: this is rock and roll and Ultra Violent Lights will be making no apologies. Blastoff.
“Skin & Bones” stampedes out the gate with a deep drum march from Robi Gonzalez and a subsonic bass line that pushes the low end right into the forefront of the verses. During the chorus the guitars surge with the deviant melody sung by Nick Faiella. Piercing overdrive, larger than life hooks, clear cut bridges, and a slamming rhythm create the perfect introduction for Ultra Violent Lights’ new movement grunge revival. “Spiders Eat the Flies” takes the album in a different direction with a bouncing rhythm that grooves underneath a sheet of guitar noise and piano. The vocal melody is infectious; imagine a cross between Kurt Cobain with the pop sensibilities of early Oasis and the swagger of the Queens of the Stone Age. Gang styled vocals add texture for the lyrics, “Criminal kids, how did we end up like this?” The songs ooze with hit single vibrations, due equally to the music as to the simple and memorable song structures. “Some Kind of Season” regains the heaviness with a dominant bass assault from Adam Lewis. With every bit of accessibility the band delivers, they never come across as generic, watered down, or soulless. The angst feels genuine, and the songwriting natural. Grunge riffs crunch as Faiella sings the bridge's hook, “You’re looking down but they’re miles below you, they’re looking up watching others crawl.”
“Sleep Now” adds an electronic texture to the guitars as they bounce around with a futuristic space atmosphere as the rhythm section rises to its potential during the pre-chorus. The boisterous vocal melody is at its poppiest with the gentle hook, reminiscent of Biffy Clyro’s softer edged material. The acoustic “Here in Filth” is a gorgeously dark ballad, with a steady bass thump providing a path for Faiella’s honest and sincere vocals and gliding strums. Midway through the song bursts out a rowdy electronic clapping beat before dropping back into the warm shakers and acoustics. “In Lieu of Pay” has an undeniable similarity to Echo & The Bunnymen’s hit “Killing Moon,” only with a more aggressive attack. Imagine the new wave hit juxtaposed with a hypnotic grunge spree, and you have the Ultra Violent Lights’ most reminiscent offering. When the hook hits, the song gains far more originality, blending some fuzzed out stoner rock guitars into the rapid drumbeat and mysterious catchy vocals. “The Spell (NYC)” races forward with a super charged danceable beat before the cascading guitars and bass layer on the persistent roaring chord progressions. The groove is locked so deep that Josh Homme would be proud. Faiella’s vocals are ominously heartfelt as he wails, “She said she was coming back and I believed every word.” “A Martyr in Me” offers a rather similar take on the rest of the album, but without its own unique characteristics, comes across a bit derivative.
“Buried at the Bottom of Silverlake” explodes with energetic exuberance, with a hard charging tempo and beefed up overdrive. The chorus sums up the overall ambiance of the album, “I’m soaked in sin, suffering.” This is dirty, raw, dark, and surprisingly some of the most commercial alternative rock heard in a very long time. “Thick as Thieves” is a terrific closing number, as Lewis’ bass playing once again shines brightly as it is delivered amongst the rapid bass drum kicks and striking dissonance of the guitar's melody. Faiella delivers a passionate vocal line over the building storm as he sings the scathing, “You say that I don’t miss your arms, but I’m loving all that you aren’t to me.” Closing with an enormous wall of sound, Ultra Violent Lights have created a record that demands repeat listens and will fuse itself deep in the caverns of your memory. With the press already hailing the band as, “Bridging the gap between Echo & The Bunnymen and Nirvana,” the comparison leaves enormous expectations that don’t seem to be entirely out of reach.
--Dan Goldin
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