VELMA Damaged for Good


VELMA

Damaged For Good

Self-release (10/03/23)


Brooding, claustrophobic, and intense,  Damaged For Good is a tasty slice of grunge-inflected post-punk, soaked in nagging guitar melodies.


Velma have been kicking around the DIY scene for a minute now, developing a reputation for the honesty of their live performance. Previous single Suffer paved the way for their self-declared post-grunge sound, with Damaged For Good building on this template and spinning it with an off-kilter drum rhythm and huge bass tone. The vocal delivery is equal parts sneering and vitriolic; a seething lyric aimed at a manipulative antagonist which leaves the narrator questioning their own sanity. The guitar hook is literally that, driving the chorus and reeling the listener in as it plays with, then against, the rhythm of the drums. The fuzzy quality of the guitar is complimented and grounded by the massive, widescreen bass. It sounds absolutely fantastic, enveloping the listener in a warm-yet-suffocating groove. Verses click by on rhythm and lead vocal alone, but the latter part of the song slips into a straight march before crawling to the finale on a variation of the main guitar line.


Velma have been tipped as ones to watch in 2023, and Damaged For Good offers a clear indication why.


Judge for yourself: https://velmamusicuk.bandcamp.com/track/damaged-for-good

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ONE DIMENSIONAL CREATURES: tolerance paradox (album)

Image
ONE DIMENSIONAL CREATURES Tolerance Paradox 07.11.25 (BKD Music) A squeal of feedback, a jangly chord sequence, and a lonely droning guitar note welcome the listener to the raw and frustrated world of One Dimensional Creatures . Here you will find plenty of sonic references to the alternative boom of the early '90s, but shot through with an eloquent take on the state of modern living, and a typically British immediacy and sense of melodicism. The opening salvo of "Media Mass", "Favourite Sporophyte", and "So Long, It's a Shame About the Fish" neatly encapsulate the urgency of the band; all slashed chords, clipped vocal phrasing and earworm hooks wrapped up in fuzzed out licks. It is sticky-floored basement bar vibes in the best way possible, and you can just imagine the energy of 50 people crammed into a small space as the band blasts through the goth-punk romp of "Old Tommy" and "Not Me" , or the glam-grunge of "Peter Pan...
Read more

BLOB HALFORD the thin line between confidence and arrogance

Image
BLOB HALFORD The Thin Line Between Confidence and Arrogance (03/10/24 self release) Greater Manchester and Florida make for unlikely musical bedfellows. One gave us Miami bass, bro-country, and 50 years of chart-bothering pop, whilst the other is famous for its swaggering clash of indie rock and club vibezzz, plus Simply Red. But from this unholy tryst step Blob Halford, a Transatlantic love-child full of slinky, satiric, sexy charm. Welcome to your new favourite band. Engineering a sound that nods to none of the aforementioned cultural touchstones, although these MFs have an abundance of swag, this Manchester-settled duo serve up a potent hybrid of ballsy blues riffs and fiery funk grooves that are delivered at punk intensity with a large helping of garage-psych weirdness.   Kicking off with the raucous boogie of Y’all Gonna Love Me Or Not?, the band deliver a relentless opener that cranks the volume up to 11 whilst offering a glimpse of an alternative universe where James Brown l...
Read more

LIVE AT ZEPHYR'S

Image
LIVE AT ZEPHYR'S Sheffield 8th May 2025 Feral State / Shreds. / 77SPEARS / Class Tourists The drive along the winding roads that snake from red rose to white rose county build anticipation ahead of a first visit to Sheffield's coolest hangout, Zephyrs. Nestled in a courtyard just a short stroll from Brammal Lane, it's the perfect spot to catch up with friends in the sunshine in-between ear-pummelling sets from tonight's rad cats. Squealing feedback introduces Class Tourists, self-described raw, frenetic hardcore punk from wakey / 5 Towns. This three piece does what it says on the tin, whilst also mixing in elements of crust, streetpunk and even some jaunty ska-riffs. Set opener Fat of the Land sets the vibe with rapid fire vocals that are spat out across a smeared sonic soundscape. Tracks like N.Y.A and This Is Not a Song follow suit, whilst Time is rooted in bouncy drums and subtly melodic bass. I love the atonal guitar solos and leads that crop up throughout the set, ...
Read more