ALBUM REVIEW: The Good Ship Lollipop – Venomous Concept
VENOMOUS CONCEPT, who count amongst their ranks a number of extreme metal’s finest, pick up where they left off with 2020’s incendiary Politics Versus The Erection with their new album The Good Ship Lollipop and it sees the quartet in fine form with a collection of typically grimly sardonic and brilliant songs as we have come to love from the band. This time though, the band have also come armed with a whole host of anthemic and melodic influences to truly bolster their own sound and it sounds like a hell of a time from start to finish.
From the industrialised stomp of the title track that opens The Good Ship Lollipop (a tongue in cheek nod to a difficult period in vocalist Kevin Sharp‘s life that shaped the album) to the melodic but haunting Life’s Winter, this album is a wild ride but one you won’t regret taking. While the music on the songs suggest an almost party like vibe, the lyrics deal with a darkness in Sharp‘s life in terms of mental health but they are handled in a smart and hopeful way and this juxtaposition does work well in the kind of twisted fashion you would definitely expect from VENOMOUS CONCEPT.
Sharp himself is on fine form throughout, with the erstwhile BRUTAL TRUTH vocalist pouring his heart out throughout the album and showing off his character frequently, all the while sharing different elements of his impressive voice and sounding all the better for it. He’s joined of course by founder and long-time bandmate Shane Embury, who shows off yet another of the multitude of bands he is in, alongside fellow NAPALM DEATH bandmate John Cooke on guitar and CANCER drummer Carl Stokes. They all sound as if they are having the time of their lives playing on these songs, and the Simon Efemy production has to be mentioned for its flawless nature as well, as the songs on this album sound absolutely massive.
Some tracks, like the sublime shoegaze-esque Fractured and Flowers Bloom ride a huge wave of catchy HÜSKER DÜ influenced hardcore vibes and sound incredible, with the melody soaring through with ease, while more hardcore orientated songs like Humble Crow, Can’t Lose and Everything Is Endless pack just as much of a punch in a more straightforward way as the band members’ love of 80s hardcore in all its forms shines through, and all the styles played are done so with gusto.
The Good Ship Lollipop is, on the whole, a triumphant album and one that, while sonically different from the rest of VENOMOUS CONCEPT‘s catalogue, still stands shoulder to shoulder with their best efforts and is undoubtedly a fine addition to the musical accomplishments of all concerned.
Rating: 8/10
The Good Ship Lollipop is set for release on February 24th via Extrinsic Records.
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