Starified – Fat Hits
Release Date: 15th January 2021
Label: Ripple Music
Bandcamp
Genre: Progressive Hard Rock, Psych Rock, Grunge.
FFO: Too many to list!
Review By: Paul Franklin
Fat Hits is the third album from Starified, a groove-driven power trio from Russia, and their second with their reduced line up of Yuriy Berezovik (guitars), Dmitri Shurpakov (bass) and Vadim Ambartsumian (lead vocals, drums).
Now there have been bands in which the drummer does some singing, but it needs to noted that the variety and range of Vadim’s vocal performance would be impressive enough for a singer who hasn’t got the distraction of playing an instrument, let alone one who is also responsible for anchoring down the Fat Hits. It would be fascinating to see how the dynamic works in a live setting.
Worshipping at the altar of powerful riffs and catchy hooks, the band claim influences as wide as Jack White, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden or Led Zeppelin. And more, there’s a nod to the 90’s grunge scene in the sludge-y riff that kicks off album opener Scapegoat. Then things go a bit of System Of A Down (complete with ‘unique’ vocal improvisations) during Don Loco, the band’s twisted take on the tale of Don Quixote.
The tone of the rest of the album is just as hard to predict as it weaves through aggressive riffs, melodic vocals and some blistering guitar solos, in particular the one at the end of Fat Kids (love they have a song called that!). Songs ebb and flow as different styles and elements momentarily bob to the surface and then just as quickly sink back into the mix. It makes for an album that’s intriguing to listen to…..if quite difficult to review!
In fact, I’ll leave the last word to the band.
‘Fat Hits is right for you if you love music and the emotions it evokes, and not a specific genre. We were influenced by too many artists and genres so one or two hashtags wouldn’t work. You decide.’
(3.5 / 5)
