Velve - Wired Angel

It frequently amazes me how many talented rock bands we have in South Africa. Talk about Proudly South African, our boys Seether (fka Saron Gas) are showing the Americans how it's done, and locally countless talented bands are destined to follow in their footsteps. Which brings me to Velve.

Since their conception in Cape Town during 2002, they've achieved a fanatical underground following with their electric live gigs, playing regularly at Mercury Live and local festivals. Consisting of Trucker on vocals, Charles Mulder on guitar, Wouter Burger on bass and Dylan Phelan on drums, Velve launched their debut EP Wired Angel at Mercury Live on 6 October. Those in attendance that stormy night (a perfect compliment to Velve's moody music) left knowing another great South African band is in the making.

Wired Angel is being labeled as an EP, but it consists of 12 tracks, including two acoustic tracks and some strategically placed instrumentals, giving the album a dark, conceptual edge. Velve is not a cheerful band. It's hard to classify their unique blend of alternative rock, punk and goth sensibilities, but AFI springs to mind. Trucker's vocals fit the musical style perfectly, and the rest of the band are by no means an afterthought. These guys play with skill, as only a band cutting their teeth playing live can do. Listen to the accoustic guitar on Undergound, my favorite track on the album - brilliant. Heavier tracks like Fallen, Ashes and Wired Angel sound best with the volume turned all the way up, while Satin Soul and Burning Day provide the balance. Satin Soul is the current single and another track that stands out. The only track on Wired Angel that disappoints is Scream, and only because I can't help but compare it to the brilliant live version.

Overall Wired Angel is a great album by a talented band. Expect to hear much more of Velve in the near future. In the meantime visit http://www.velve.co.za for details.