**On the last demo they sounded like a heavier Kenickie. Now almost a year
later, they've finally found their own sound.
**
Although the Kenickie influence is still there, there are also subtle hints
of the Manics, Angelica, bis and maybe even Kittie. This could have something to
do with the new line-up, only the lead vocalist/ songwriter/ guitarist/ super
vixen Becky Stefani and drummer Ashley James have survived. From the opening drum roll on 'Carnival' to
the final guitar riff on 'Crash' VIF take us through their super-sexy world of
glitter, vodka and lurve.
If you locked the Manics and Angelica in a room for a day and got them to
write a song the results wouldn't be too far off 'Carnival' Ashley and
Johnny hold the song together with their strong rhythmic sections while Becky
switches between her guitar and glockenspiel, although the key instrument is
Carrie's keyboards. There's a vast improvement with Becky's vocals, she's now
found her own voice instead of impersonating Lauren Laverne. There's also a
slight improvement with her song writing although they’re all roughly about
the same subject. It'd be nice to have some variety although I don’t think
it’ll ever happen. 'Almost 4am' is very similar to 'Carnival' while 'Crash'
is more rock, Becky almost manages a scream and the song ends in a Kittie-esque moment.
The demo is oozing with quality so this should their last self released demo/single
as someone's bound to sign them up soon. For more info on the band check out www.venus-in-furs.co.uk
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8James Moore's Score