Disco de Volbeat: “Strength/The Sound/The Songs”

wow this cd just blew me away. it rock's from the first track to the last, the vocals remind me a little of keith caputo of life of agony.

If you like rock and/or metal then I think you would like this cd.

2005's The Strength/The Sound/The Songs is the debut release from Danish metal band Volbeat. There really isn't an easy way to describe Volbeat's sound, which combines metal, punk and rockabilly. They've used the term "Elvis Metal" and that's as good as anything. I hear Metallica, Danzig, Social Distortion and Motorhead when I listen to Volbeat, and that's a pretty good combination.

The Strength/The Sound/The Songs is a tremendously heavy album, but it's also a very melodic album. Thundering guitars are set against rockabilly-style melodies and topped off by Michael Poulsen's hugely powerful vocals. It's like being on the receiving end of a metal thunderbolt. Highlights of this album are "Caroline Leaving", "Rebel Monster" and the cover of "I Only Wanna Be With You", but the whole album is a monster. I'd probably give it a 5-star rating if it weren't for the fact that the band's next two albums are that much better.

It's not quite the powerhouse that

and

were, but The Strength/The Sound/The Songs is still a totally rocking album that any Volbeat fan needs to own. If you're new to the band you're probably better off starting with Guitar Gangsters and working backwards, but make no mistake, once you experience Volbeat, you have no choice but to become a fan.

PS - This band is AMAZING live. If you get a chance to see them, do not pass it by.

The debut from Danish band Volbeat, and an interesting one. I'm not quite sure what to make of it, really. I really dig the tracks where it echoes back to oldies with melodies that we'd all find familiar, but some of the album is a little too repetitive and simplistic. But it's an interesting approach, and one that might grow on me (or anyone else) with repeated listens.