BROKEN VALVES – Salvation (Ep)

Broken Valves is an up-and-coming Hard Rock band from Italy. Formed back in 2007, they went through line-up changes until they finally landed their current five-piece line-up in February of 2010. Led by guitarist Riccardo Amenta, the sound of Broken Valves is heavily influenced by bands such as Godsmack, Nickelback, and Creed. However, what separates Broken Valves from those other bands is a unique and modern sound portrayed with a great amount of passion and enthusiasm.

Although the band is expected to release their first full length album in late 2011, they have decided to tease fans with a taste of what is to come. The Salvation EP contains four extremely powerful tracks full of remarkable and vibrant guitar riffs, as well as extraordinarily fervent vocals. Vocalist Riccardo Favara has a special gift of giving the songs a life of their own. He does sound very much like Creed’s Scott Stapp, so you can expect to hear some very intense and forceful vocals.

The first track “Salvation” begins with a solid and catchy guitar riff. It’s a very likable mid-tempo track with a memorable chorus. There is nothing too adventurous with this track, as it follows a fairly standard Rock format. It is, however, one of those songs that sticks with you, and you end up humming the chorus long after it’s over. The second track, “Fight Your Fights All Alone”, is grittier than the first song, and the riffs and vocals are much more dark and heavy. This song has a raw feel to it, and it’s definitely not as polished as “Salvation”.

“Fall”, the third track, is the melancholy ballad that begins with a slow and dramatic guitar intro before Favara begins singing in a captivatingly higher range. This song is arguably Favara’s finest work on the album as he presents a very tormented vocal style that is infectious and enchanting. The final song is the thrashing “Why So Serious”. This is a loud and raucous finale with yet another amazing guitar riff.

Broken Valves has certainly whetted the Metal community’s appetite for what is to come. Even though this band is currently unsigned, they shouldn’t have any trouble finding a label that will help promote their charismatic brand of Hard Rock and Metal. These guys have an abundance of talent both lyrically and musically, and are definitely worth checking out!