Valley Of The Sun: Volume Rock

Hard rocking Cincinnati ruffians hit a well-stocked bar

Valley Of The Sun album

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

They’ve broken a stage on tour, drink whiskey when they write lyrics and have played with Red Fang and Truckfighters; it’s safe to say that Cincinnati’s Valley Of The Sun are getting off to a good start with their ‘all feet to the pedals’ brand of rock’n’roll.

Volume Rock rattles through familiar yet vigorously executed sounds, from stoner and Soundgarden to AC/DC and blues, with more depth and drive than their debut, Electric Talons Of The Thunderhawk (and what a magnificent name for a debut that is).

Probably even better live tha they are on record, Valley Of The Sun sound like one of those bands best experienced in a divebar with sweat dripping off the walls – a perfect setting for the short, sharp shock of The Hunt, the QOTSA-esque jaunt of Land Of Fools or Noodle, where Ryan Ferrier’s huge vocals sound like Steven Tyler experiencing an exorcism.

On the flipside the hulking slowburn of Speaketh, coming at you like an Alice in Chains opus, proves that Valley Of The Sun have a lot more to give despite their carnal poise.

Holly Wright

With over 10 years’ experience writing for Metal Hammer and Prog, Holly has reviewed and interviewed a wealth of progressively-inclined noise mongers from around the world. A fearless voyager to the far sides of metal Holly loves nothing more than to check out London’s gig scene, from power to folk and a lot in between. When she’s not rocking out Holly enjoys being a mum to her daughter Violet and working as a high-flying marketer in the Big Smoke.