Some albums demand your attention right out of the gate, and Sangue e Veleno by Deep Valley Blues is one of them. This isn’t music that eases you in; it pulls you by the collar, throws you into its heavy, mud-slicked riffs, and doesn’t let go until the last chord fades. It’s raw, heavy blues rock at its most unfiltered – equal parts cathartic and suffocating.
The sound is big – borderline oppressive at times. The guitars growl and snarl with a tone so thick it feels almost physical. There’s something primal about how they alternate between fuzz-drenched grooves and the occasional soaring solo, as though the band knows they need to let a little light peek through the clouds, even briefly. The rhythm section, on the other hand, is relentless. The bass is thick and grimy, locking everything down while the drums stomp and crash like a bar fight about to boil over. It’s not subtle, but it works.
Vocally, there’s no attempt to clean things up or sand off the edges. The delivery is coarse and lived-in, like a voice pushed too far but refusing to quit. It’s the kind of vocal performance that fits these songs perfectly, even if it doesn’t always hit every note with precision. That’s the point, though – this is music that thrives on imperfections.
What’s interesting about Sangue e Veleno is how tightly it sticks to its guns. This is an album that knows exactly what it wants to be: dark, heavy, and suffused with frustration. There’s a cohesion to the record that’s both a strength and a bit of a trap. On the one hand, the consistency makes the album feel like one long, unbroken statement. On the other hand, it doesn’t leave much room for surprises. If you’re looking for variety or lighter moments, you won’t find them here.
Still, there are flashes of nuance within the density. Some riffs channel a deep blues lineage, as though paying tribute to the genre’s forebears, even if it’s through a thick haze of distortion. There’s also an emotional clarity running through the record – it never feels like the band is simply going through the motions. Every track carries a sense of urgency, like it needed to be played.
This isn’t an album for everyone, and that’s to its credit. Sangue e Veleno doesn’t cater; it confronts. It’s messy, intense, and unapologetically loud. For fans of heavy blues rock who appreciate a record that wears its flaws as proudly as its strengths, this is an experience worth diving into. Just be ready for a lot of volume, a lot of emotion, and not much room to breathe.
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Released by Argonauta Records on November 29th, 2024
Music source for review – Grand Sounds PR
