It's fair to say I started to listen to Vellocet with a certain amount of expectation, having heard very good things about them beforehand, and a general consensus they were a major band to watch out for in the local scene. Call to arms 'Messiah' starts off with a filthy bassline following up with pounding drums and a guitar riff that isn't a million miles away from Rage Against The Machine, not what I'd expected from a band touted as Stoke's answer to Kasabian. Then the vocals kick in, and the comparison make a lot more sense. That said it's not a carbon copy and vocalist Ryan Barker adds his own style to proceedings, drawling his way all over the music which certainly draws a heavy amount of inspiration from Kasabian itself, but with their own funk-based twist and occasional laid back psychedelica. The band has a clear and defined sound, with everyone seeming to know their roles, the bass and drums are the heartbeat of the tracks, the framework for the guitars and vocals to layer over. 'Hallucination' is the most original offering here and it's quite refreshing to hear something that is at once so relaxed and so direct, the vocals and guitars float and weave their way in and out before building to a riproaring chorus. 'Frontline' is a scathing, snake bite of a track, bursting at the seems with energy and a chorus that is destined to get firmly wedged in the brain after only one listen. This is the sound of an incredibly confident and niave rock band who are effortlessly producing modern rock and roll and music and it's sending the teenagers crazy at The Sugarmill that much is certain. The recordings are surprisingly well produced and manage to capture the frenetic energy and inherent swagger displayed at their live performances.
