Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
When you’re big in Japan, pretty much you can be assured a cult following anywhere in the world. Such is the sphere of influence that the nation has in business and in the arts, that whatever niche following is available, it gets consumed with relish but also admired for its intricate and absorbing nature. This is especially true when something from within the islands, come out with powerful, complex and a fascination of an art form perhaps more keenly associated with its Western acquaintances.
For the Vamps and their brand new album Bloodsuckers, being closely allied to the contemporary hard rock scene that dominated the genre a generation ago is not a bad thing, for it allows a fresh re-evaluation of the music that captivated the charts and likeminded followers. It also provides a timely reminder that such music, when played with exuberance and dedication, will always come roaring out the traps, snarling, snapping like a wild animal in full flight, the scent of unmarked blood in its nostrils but with the generosity of spirit in which to nurture and domesticate the sounds created. For this alone The Vamps are due tremendous applause and being worthy of being seen as act of renaissance, a step into the past but very much striding forward with combined melody and persuasive appeal.
Bloodsuckers delivers body blow after slap around the mid-rift. The album, keenly delivered with a certain style, never allows the listener to relax into the sense of the comfortable, to never drift lazily like an August day when the sun peeks over the top of Mount Fuji, but instead has the speed of a bullet train being driven by a coyote, the brakes eventually come but the album has long since been played, enjoyed and put back into the rack before it is applied.
Tracks such as Zero, World’s End, Vampire’s Love, the album title track Bloodsuckers and Ghost are exciting, full of pomp, but understated enough to be respectful to the identity of their ancestors, and with a growl that stiffens the resolve of borders being crossed and new realms opening up before the Rock fan.
The islands of Japan are full of myths and legends, of folklore and abiding tradition, but traditions have to change, even if slowly, and in The Vamps, a new practice has been built up and is challenging the status quo.
Vamps’ Bloodsuckers will be released through Spinefarm Records in the U.K. on March 23rd.
Ian D. Hall