Buried in Verona – Notorious
01/06/2012 in CD Reviews, Music
There’s no doubting that BIV have gone to a lot of trouble to make sure people go out and buy the album and have really promoted it really well. They do what they do well and I certainly can’t fault them there. BIV are a hard working band and have put a lot of time, money and effort into the band and continue to impress thousands of people Australia wide.
I’ll admit that I was a bit sceptical before reviewing this. So far the teasers and the released songs so far hadn’t impressed me. I will also readily admit, I had never really listened to Buried in Verona much before at all. I did enjoy quite a few of the older songs that I went back and listened to. I will also admit it was a bit of a struggle to listen to Notorious. I like to listen to CDs a few times over. I managed to get through 4 complete listens.
This album falls a bit flat for me. It didn’t leave me wanting more or wanting to see them live again. It sort of made me feel, “well is this it?” The last track on the album was a big disappointment and it was a terrible way to finish it off.
The opener was obviously intended to smack us in the face from the moment we press play. It was a good solid track to open Notorious with. To me, this was one of the few, heartfelt written songs. I actually felt energised and ready to punch on. Four Years is one of the stand out tracks and I think it will firm as a fan favourite. Can’t Let it Go was predictable from start to finish but will be another fan favourite I feel.
Lion Heart is without a doubt my favourite off the whole album. I really enjoyed this and was a nice break in the listening experience. It has a more rockier feel to it and I like that. It added much needed variety. Couldn’t Give 34 Fucks… I found it pretty boring and probably not their best on the CD. I really have nothing else to say about that one.
Perceptions opens with a lot of promise but then I realise it’s almost like Part II of Couldn’t Give 34 Fucks. The Descent reminds me a bit of Comeback Kid in parts. It has a really catchy tune and probably was the track that kept me listening to the rest of it. Forget What You Know is boring. But it would be excellent to hear live. I’m pretty sure kids will be moshing to this as it seems to be one of the more “brutal” songs on the CD. It’ll be a fan favourite at live shows and I’m sure there will be plenty of mike grabs.
I like CDs that finish well. But Notorious just doesn’t. Finders Keepers and Last Words just don’t do it for me and I feel like they’re the same song. Ivory was actually really good but it ended up fading in the end and I felt it was a poor way to finish.
Overall, as I mentioned earlier, it is a solid effort, and a CD that Buried in Verona will be proud of. And rightly so. They bit the bullet, headed overseas to Europe to record and also play some shows. It shows a band with a lot of commitment and faith in each other to make this band, the best it can be. As an outsider looking in, I didn’t feel this energy. And that’s the main issue I have with Notorious. It doesn’t give me a feeling of happiness, hate, or sadness. It shows glimpses of what could be a better, more open and heartfelt experience. I want something that makes me feel a part of the experience, a part of the process of writing and recording. I wanted to taste the blood sweat and tears that went into Notorious. I was left wanting more.
Notorious will be a massive hit and I reckon that a lot of kids will have this CD stuck in their CD players or playing on their iTunes for many weeks to come! I just wish they had poured petrol on their music scene and lit it on fire, rather than follow the fire trail lit by others.
Rating 2.5/5
Buried in Verona – Notorious is available now via UNFD
