VELVET INSANE
“Rock ‘N’ Roll Glitter Suit”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

8/10

Velvet Insane are a rock band from Sweden formed in 2013, releasing their self titled debut album in 2019. The band have a sound that can be traced back to the early seventies, when the emergence of glam rock began to bridge the gap between the already established style of classic rock, and the phenomena of disco…think Slade, T-Rex, Bowie, and the Rolling Stones. And now Velvet Insane are back, with their second offering ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Glitter Suit’ – eleven songs that swagger, swoon, and slide their way past in less then forty minutes!

So put on your platform shoes, tight at the waist flared trousers and long collared satin shirt, and let’s hit the dance floor like it’s 1977 and your name’s Tony Manero…

…’cause yes, ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Glitter Suit’ is a feverish blast of rock ‘n’ roll fit for a Saturday night…

…with ‘Driving Down The Mountain’ a definite get the party started anthem. The swagger, the boogie, the sheer dance ability – ‘Driving Down The Mountain’ is happy mood inducing. Which is surely the point of rock ‘n’ roll! And the good times continue to roll, with ‘Backstreet Liberace’ a high energy blast of glam. The chorus is sing a long able, and so bloody catchy you’ll be smiling like the proverbial Cheshire cat! Velvet Insane may be fifty years late for the glam rock boom, but they have mastered the glorious sound of the seventies. ‘Jaded Eyes’ is stripped back, yet has lost none of the infectious nature of the two previous songs.

‘Velvet Tongue’ returns the light and airy feel, the catchy and infectious nature of good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. Slowing things right down, and turning the lights down, ‘Sound Of Sirens’ reduces the high energy disco feel to an almost slow dance feel, with couples holding each other and swaying around the dance floor. ‘Riding The Skyways’ brings the sound of the Rolling Stones to the fore, the swagger and pomp of the rock legends lives on!

Back in the seventies, American hard rock band Kiss took glam rock into the electric age with their high octane performances – and Velvet Insane, whether knowingly or not, pay homage to Kiss, with the opening riff to ‘Spin On Crazy Moon’ sounding exactly like the American rockers’ seventies rock sound. As for the rest of ‘Spin On Crazy Moon’ – definitely Velvet Insane sounding. Energy levels rise high as ‘Sailing On A Thunderstorm’ sets sail and cruises forth like its party time on a liner during the seventies.

This album hasn’t left the seventies for a moment, Velvet Insane remaining in some kind of time warp, where disco, rock, and glam are the only musical choices. ‘Midnight Sunshine Serenade’ sounds exactly like its title. An acoustic guitar and soulful vocals fill the air, conjuring images of sitting outside, around a fire, late at night, couples swaying from side to side… ‘Space Age DJ’ returns the swagger of late seventies glam rock, all heavy hitting as it rocks very hard. The acoustic guitar led ‘You’re The Revolution’ brings the album to a close in a highly anthemic, and rabble rousing style – but remember, back in the seventies all the rabble rousing was a lot more peaceful than it is today.

Overall, a glorious trip back in time to a decade when rock ‘n’ roll, disco, and glam were all the rage – and Velvet Insane should have been there too.

TRACKLIST

Driving Down The Mountain
Backstreet Liberace
Jaded Eyes
Velvet Tongue
Sound Of Sirens
Riding The Skyways
Spin On Crazy Moon
Sailing On A Thunderstorm
Midnight Sunshine Serenade
Space Age DJ
You’re The Revolution

https://www.facebook.com/velvetinsane

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