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Moving On EP - Self Released
Ottawa, Ontario’s The Valveenus have been around the local punk scene since early 2012 with a string of DIY releases under the belt as well as having shared the stage with the liked of Guttermouth, Cobra Skulls and The Real Mckenzies. With their latest EP, Moving On, they shifted up a gear, recording in a proper studio, giving their songs a solid platform to shine on.
Upon first listen I couldn’t quite shake the feeling I’d heard this before and was going insane trying to remember where. Then it hit; these guys sound a lot like early Bad Religion. I mean, there’s certainly worse comparisons for a punk band, but any thoughts of The Valveenus being a poor mans BR are swept away on the 2nd or 3rd time of listening.
Misery opens with a harmonica melody layered over acoustic guitar before getting plugged in and transitioning into machine gun riffs with ease. There are whoah-oh’s and melodies galore and the harmonica remains in play for the duration and adds an unexpected and fantastic element that makes the song instantly memorable. Cold Hard Truth is another well crafted and tuneful track, with maybe a slight overuse of layered soloing and the story of a failed relationships just seems slightly mundane. Moving On starts with a bang – speed riffing and a cascading bassline that drags the song up and down the scale effortlessly. The vocals have Matt at his Greg Gaffin-esque best, but even though it sounds familiar, it is familiar in a good way! Chemical Workers Song is simply brilliant; an absolutely stunning punk rock protest song, full of melody and anger in equal measure as it tells a haunting story of horrific working conditions in a way that has you singing along on the first listen.
Considering that The Valveenus are currently unsigned, and Moving On EP was self recorded and self produced, the band have crafted something pretty special here, and I can do nothing other than commend them on a job well done.