BAND OF VOLUNTEERS – Divination (2012)
Formed in Norway in 2006, Band Of Volunteers to date has three studio albums out: “Two Faces” (2007), “Sweet Lies” (2008), and “A Rock Romanticism” (2009). “Divination” is, unsurprisingly, the band’s fourth release and the first with bassist Andreas Johansen.
The band’s sound is somewhere between hard and alt rock, with a classical heavy metal vibe (if not the all-out volume) guiding things along. They are riff heavy with the guitar always way out front in the mix, perhaps nodding to the White Stripes; even if their actual sound is quite dissimilar. The drums and bass are there, though the rhythms certainly take a back seat behind the guitars and singing. The vocals are shouty, tuneful enough and fit in well with the character of the music.
Of the songs, ‘Tonight’ rollicks along at a right old pace with a few Sabbath-esque slower interludes, “Destiny Blinds (Lost Generation)” is a mid paced effort with plenty of retro character, the grungy ‘Grim’ makes a decent case for itself, ‘My Cave – My Prison’ is moody and interesting, and the AC/DC cover ‘Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be’ could be worse.
01. Tonight
02. Ghost
03. Divination
04. Destiny Blinds (Lost Generation)
05. The Grim
06. A Caravan To a Strange Land
07. Devil’s Lullaby
08. Distorted Eyes
09. My Cave – My Prison
10. Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be
11. Set in Stone
Anders L. Rasmussen – Vocals and Guitars
Tommy Kristiansen – Drums
Andreas Johansen – Bass
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BAND OF VOLUNTEERS – Divination (2012)