VIOLET
“Illusions”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Violet are a melodic rock/AOR band from Germany formed in 2020, releasing their debut album ‘Illusions’ in 2022…

…featuring a huge eighties style bombastic sound, echoing the likes of Starship, Survivor and Toto, with harder hitting elements of Lita Ford and Vixen. The band, shunning their country’s more well known style of power and thrash metal, combine stadium rock with AOR to deliver nine songs of catchy pop come party rock – the album storming into life with the heavy hitting ‘The Looks Of A Winner’. And a sound that was prevalent throughout the eighties and into the nineties – with big hair do’s and even bigger and brighter clothes the visuals springing to mind. I was a part of the eighties – growing up as teenager listening to heavy metal – but had family and friends who were heavily into the pop scene. So I was always around a wide variety of music – don’t even get me started on what my parents listened to! Violet are a breath of fresh air, blowing even stronger with the faster paced and overly energetic ‘Blame It On The Night’. The band pounding the senses with a barrage of beefy rock, instilling a party atmosphere among every single listener.

‘Sophie’ is a melodic rocker that reminds me of Swedish pop rock sensation Roxette – the two bands sharing a feel good factor that plants smiles a mile on the faces of their fans and followers. Violet hitting hard and kicking harder with some of the best stadium rock I’ve heard all year. And now for something that’s gonna make me and every other fifty year old rock fan feel their age – Violet cover a song from 1986…were any of the band even born back then? I very much doubt it – the band covering the UK top ten smash hit ‘Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me)’ by Samantha Fox (the second single lifted from her ’86 debut album ‘Touch Me’). Violet’s version is much rockier, and features a bigger sound than the original. As a sixteen year old at the time the original was released, I and many other hormonal and sexually aware teenagers, already knew of the topless model Samantha Fox, and found her suggestive and innuendo laden lyrics the stuff of dreams! And this was regardless of anyone’s chosen musical preferences.

Anyway, back to the here and now, ‘Francine’ is the most mellow song heard so far, yet also features a weighty punch. The mix of hard rock and AOR is incredible, the band hitting you hard and then caressing you until you feel better. The eighties was a great decade for evolution, not just in terms of music, but inventions, fashion and television too – it was a time that will never be repeated. And it’s always heart warming to be reminded of such an important era in history – an era I’m happy to have been a part of. So when a band comes along and reminds of that era, I kinda feel nostalgic – and that’s how I feel right now. The band rocking on with the soft rock number ‘Burning May’. And a mellowness that’s at its mellowest since the album began – ‘Illusions’ moving away from its hard rock beginnings into a more melodic vein.

That said. the band pick up the tempo and fairly jog on with the light and breezy ‘Only Love’, sizzling with a party feel – a feel of “let’s get this party started”. For that’s the feeling that Violet have oozed all album long, and what a glorious feeling it’s been! And now here comes a lot of punches – ‘Cover Model’ a boxing ring sparring match between two heavyweight boxers! And neither giving the other an inch…the band stomping ever so hard. Violet bring their debut album to a close with the bluesy swagger of the ballad-esque ‘Run Away’ – and amazingly, a rock album runs its course without ever presenting a full blown pure ballad!

Overall, an energetic and up tempo romp of party rock anthems, soft rock pomp, and AOR majesty. 

TRACKLIST

The Looks Of A Winner
Blame It On The Night
Sophie
Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me) (cover)
Francine
Burning May
Only Love
Cover Model
Run Away

https://www.facebook.com/violetAORofficial/

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