Sounds Like Violence have a deceptive name; whilst their aggressive, yet upbeat, indie-rock is enjoyable, it doesn’t really sound like a fist fight. Probably for the best really, but with song titles such as ‘You Give Me Heartattacks’, ‘Cry, Oh Cry’ and ‘The Pistol’, you could be mistaken for thinking this Swedish mob have more than a passing interest in a scrap. You’d be wrong mind, for whilst there is a distinct likening to The Hives in the vocal department, Sounds Like Violence are exciting and refreshing, combining choppy guitar riffs with an energetic vocal.
‘The Pistol’, their first release for Deep Elm, is a great record, of that there is no doubt. There’s a certain angsty-feel, which when combined with the urgency of the guitars and the vocal melodies, comes up trumps. It’s almost gritty in feel, thanks to the production which is raw and full of energy. Opener ‘You Give Me Heartattacks’ is a rip-roaring start, and you can easily imagine limbs flailing across the stage in a live setting. Over the course of the six tracks there’s energy aplenty, with the title track and ‘Perfect’ rocking hard. I guess what sets this record apart from some of the other bands in the field, is the clever use of the lyrics. There’s an element of woe and desperation, juxtaposed by the aggressive feel of the music. With lines such as “you give me heartattacks, you’re stabbing knives in my back” and “the only thing we know is that we’ll die someday”, you could again assume you’re listening to Korn or Staind. But by now you should have learned not to assume with SLV.
A short and sweet review, but this is a great record you should really discover. Fans of Deep Elm will love it, if you’re not a fan of Deep Elm then you should be, while fans of bands like The Hives will like it too. Everyone should like it.
Paul