Vicious Cabaret :: Rock Noir

'Ball-busting rock bands from the Leeds area might be two a penny right now, yet this young trio uncouthly manages to stream neck and shoulders above the competition with their unearthly fusion of garage punk and art rock.

From the off, their trademark scuzzy guitar riffs define the VC sound, with Steve Maloney’s vocals ringing a treat through ‘La Petite Mort’. The strong melodies echo those of Brand Violet’s, while ‘Waiting For My Gate To Call’ similarly relies on its stunning melody and lyrical prowess. ‘Don’t Look Down’ bristles as a serious contender for the coolest anthem of the decade, its pulsating bass-line courtesy of Jack Fowler - not to mention some sublime backing vocals come the chorus - ensuring the track’s nothing if not insanely catchy.

The sheer cool of ‘Wallow’ subsequently hints that these three lads are fans of new wave music just as much as they are Little Richard, Jimi Hendrix and The Clash, with Steve going so far as to sound a tad like Duran Duran’s Simon Le Bon when it suits him. Not that that’s a bad thing in any respect.

Temporarily slowing the tempo, the mid-paced ‘Inside These Walls’ is a deliciously dark masterpiece that comes complete with one of the album’s most cutting lyrics: ‘I’m the cigarette you didn’t stub that burns your house to the ground.’ Charming… and they are, even in their most sinister moments.

The hypnotic riff of ‘Second Best’, meanwhile, proves that Mr Maloney is just a talented guitarist as he is vocalist, with Pete Devine showing off his talents as band drummer during final cut, ‘The Devil’s Got His White Tux On Tonight’, a certain Glam-greased undercurrent of sinful sleaze literally bringing the album’s climax to a head.

Produced by former Cardiacs member Mark Cawthra, this release can’t fail to usher Vicious Cabaret that essential step closer to widespread acclaim, fame and fortune. Mark my words. That’s fine. But at least listen to theirs.

Steve Rudd
Screaming Tarts

'Vicious Cabaret ooze creativity with album The Next Utopia Will Be Better. Soundwise they illustrate a wealth of influences from indie and punk to power pop, and their lyrical content is a little bit dark and spooky. Opening track 'La Petite Mort' couldn't do a better job of proving that the band can write classic rock tunes. The rich harmonies and inclusion of brass instruments in 'Don't Look Down' makes it memorable and different. Punk fans will love the gritty and energetic 'Wallow' whereas 'Keep Coming Back For More' could easily score the band commercial success with its upbeat, powerful hooks. No two tracks are the same on this experimental release, though it's a mature and cohesive album that shows courage and hunger. Vicious Cabaret have got what it takes to go far.'

Anne Green
Black Velvet Magazine

'After a small scale tour and enough line up changes to compare with Guns & Roses, Vicious Cabaret are ready to take on the music scene. After releasing an EP titled Twilight Of The Idols there seemed to be be a future for the Leeds threesome. With the help of the underground music scene their debut album The Next Utopia Will Be Better was produced. It is a vibrant, off the wall album, reminiscent of music by 70s punk band The Misfits. At first the songs seemed to merge into each other due to the similar heavy guitar riffs and vocals. However, as the album progesses the songs become cunningly catchy and you will soon be singing along with the same emotion as the band does. Two songs to listen out for are 'Don't Look Down' and 'Inside These Walls'. The opening of 'Don't Look Down' brings an element of rock & roll to the forefront that seems to have been lost in the music scene nowadays, whereas 'Inside These Walls' is much more chilled out. The contast of the up beat and the slowed down sounds make for a promising debut from Vicious Cabaret regardless of the hesitation they have faced from the mainstream music scene. Even though Vicious Cabaret seem uncertain about the musical direction they are heading for, the album is definitely worth a listen.'

The Buz

The band sound tight, clean, and sharp - in contrast to Steve's sordid and sleazy vocals - crooned rather than screamed in contrast to the other current bands who affect 'sleaze' - this band have class the others can only dream of. They have been busy working on new songs since I last saw them and the set consists almost entirely of new material.'

'I'm a sucker for anyone who makes references to the works of Alan Moore (read the comics, don't watch the films - you'll get the wrong idea about him), so all Vicious Cabaret need to do to make me happy is not sound like Coldplay. Joy of joys, they do not.

'Wallow' gets the ball rolling, with its rumbling distorted bass riff and vocals resembling Alice In Chains and early Queens Of The Stone Age at turns. Drums solidly lay down the rhythm, while bass and vocals take centre stage supported by understated guitar. 'The Devil's Got His White Tux On Tonight' continues the bass/vocal pairing, but sees the guitar receiving more attention here. 'La Petite Mort' concludes in a more conventional rock style, but has some good lyrics and some nice Cramps moments. A satisfying triumvirate of top tunes to tantalise and titilate with low frequency euphony.'

Sandman

'Good to see Leeds' answer to the Mary Chain still going strong. Now down to a trio, the reduction in personnel luckily hasn't blunted Vicious Cabaret's razor-sharp sound. Slightly more measured than their Twilight Of The Idols debut, it still combines the group's trademark barbed lyrics with the sort of snarled-up mutant garage rock sound which resembles The Strokes being chopped to pieces by an industrial wood chipper. And let's face it, there's few more satisfying sounds than that. Recommended.'

Andy James
leedsmusicscene.net

'It's Vicious Cabaret who draw the biggest crowd of the three bands on tonight and it's good to see them still coming on in leaps and bounds. The dark Mary Chain style gloom-rock of old is still there but it's been revved up quite considerably in the last twelve months and sounds all the better for it on new songs such as 'Don't Look Down'. Add to this a clinically tight rhythm section and frontman Steve's habit of not so much singing as spitting the lyrics venomously into your face and things are definitely looking good for this lot.'

'Sadly still unsigned, Leeds' Vicious Cabaret return with new recordings. 'Wallow' rides a suitably filthy bass line (the VU jamming with Foo Fighters?) – recycling Joy Division riffs as it goes. 'The Devil’s Got His White Tux On Tonite' is darker – more The Mission than 'Transmission’. 'La Petite Mort' is my favourite track here – a glam shaped stomper that reeks of Bolan.'

'Sleazy and deliberately stalking, but spruced up garage rocking. There's nothing 'new' here, but there's rock n roll ingredients in new proportions and I defy anyone to stand still while 'The Devil's Got His White Tux On Tonight' chops up a Stranglers bass riff with sparky lil' riffs and fat keef-chords.'

'Three piece rock band Vicious Cabaret open up the proceedings to a very small audience hidden away at the back. A competent opening song keeps the beat and guitars flowing. A few more is added to the audience as the set progresses. The band effortlessly swaggers through their songs and deliver an entertaining rock-by-numbers set to a small but devoted fan base.

Vicious Cabaret is quite a competent outfit, with an ability to rock out and make things look a little too easy at times. Their second to last song takes things down a notch and is probably their best performance on the night. The song slowly eases in menacingly with a slow tortuous bass and sleaze-ridden guitar giving way to some high octane propulsive rock. The last song rocks in and swaggers out, a little like the band tonight. The band isn’t vicious nor is it cabaret either. But a solid, hard working rock band who are worthy openers.'

'Parting company with one's musical tastes takes a lot in today's tightly packed music world, but the styles of Vicious Cabaret and The Humour are two bands not of the norm and can hold their heads up high among the rest of the Arctic Monkey wannabies out there as they challenged listeners at The Mixing Tin in Leeds to a different style of music.

Vicious Cabaret were the first to take to the stage, with a fast paced start that did not falter throughout their rather impressive set. Although there seemed to be only one sound that the band could produce it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as they kept the audience's eyes fixed on them throughout.

The main strength of this band is defiantly from their excellent rhythm section, which is really tight and seems to be the glue that holds the band together. With tremendously filthy bass riffs and a drummer that beats the crap out of his kit, the band has a solid base for the future.

With this kind of fast tempo punk-angst sound is one that definitely works for the band as they have potential, but if you put on any Tony Hawk game out there on you'll probably be able to hear bands of a similar nature, and more status. That's not to say their sound isn't good, it's like most things as it's been done before. If you want something alternative and entertaining in your music, then check out Vicious Cabaret.'

Vicious Cabaret have as much swagger and snarl as any rock band can possibly muster. The gritty, almost filthy riffage from the guitar, mixed with the steady, pumping rhythm section starts the night off with a bang, and a pretty big one at that. Top.'

'I arrived a little late so only caught the last few songs from Vicious Cabaret who were in the process of being a bunch of dark and brooding rock bastards with deliciously filthy bass lines and plenty of attitude. Glorious stuff, only a shame I missed the start. But from the snippets that came my way it left me wanting another taster. Yum.'

'Starting an EP off with a guitar solo will always please this reviewer. Usually however, when the instant pleasure is over, the grim reality of another flamboyant introduction to an average song stands tall. Thankfully though, Vicious Cabaret have no such problem, able to mix raw talent with good song writing several times on this disc.

Produced by Simon Humphrey (The Clash) and Pat Grogan (New Model Army), Twilight of the Idols makes Vicious Cabaret sound like a British answer to the Queens of the Stone Age. Not quite as loud, certainly not as rude and obviously not recorded in a desert, but distantly familiar to Josh Homme and Co. 'Drift Like Effluvia' and the brilliantly titled 'Charisma Has Dug A Billion Graves' are two of the best efforts on a great introductory EP.'

'Relativity, a strange thing, concept, force of nature or a convenient way of explaining to stupid A & R types how you get from Mick Ronson to Suede without stopping to buy a quark from a passing yank. All of which is guff in the face of the Vicious Cabaret guitar assault, because they’ve got their own copies of Electric Warrior and Live At Leeds and, by damn, you’re getting the synthesis right up the nearest aural orifice, you lucky punter, and think on, this isn’t sarcasm, Vicious Cabaret are blatant in their thievery, creative in their use of the goods and genuinely vicious in the way that they slash it out.'

'Thank Christ for Vicious Cabaret; here are four songs that Josh Homme would be proud of writing. Whilst Britain's music scene is full or that boring Bloc Party bollocks, Vicious Cabaret emerge from Leeds with four scuzzy, dirty songs that would have Marc Bolan stomping his foot from inside his grave. Twilight of the Idols sees them, like fellow Leeds glamsters The Glitterati, breaking away from the modern music scene and creating something that deserves to be listened to immediately. Do yourself a favour and pick this EP up if you pride yourself on having any taste in music whatsoever.'

'When a band’s own PR statement on their website reads: “A snide rock and roll vaudeville for the twenty first century” you get the feeling that you are either in for the ride of your life or falling off the end of Oblivion after finding out the rails only run halfway!

Thankfully this band manages to build on its own frighteningly confident publicity. From the outset there is quite obviously something different about this band. Their lyrics say one thing and their music quite obviously says another.

Of the bands name checked by Vicious Cabaret one which stands out are the Manic Street Preachers and on listening to the first track from Twilight of the Idols, 'Drift Like Effluvia', the similarities hit you smack in the face. Now before you all say “Oh No not the old men in beige khakis and slippers (well all except the Wire of course)!” No we’re not talking about that band but the original and best incarnation of the Manics, where music and lyrics mattered (of course) but where above all else style counted. Add to that a mix of styles including QOTSA and Marilyn Manson and you have nothing else like it.

On this debut EP there are songs that stand out as having the potential to rival anything the London music scene can produce.

'Nuremberg Defence' is one such blazing track. Lyrics that on the surface that make no real statement but when added to the throbbing, pulsating music make all the sense in the world. Following on swiftly from that comes 'Goodbye Green & Pleasant Land' what should by rights be one of the blandest tracks on the EP due to the lack of any type of effect, but what is actually one of the most blistering, played with passion and twisted guitar melodies. Bringing the tempo right back down is the final track 'Charisma Has Dug A Billion Graves' this is what I think really lets you know that this band is going to be around for a while. The lyrics and music come together as one and the whole thing is transformed into an amazing vocal performance from Steve Maloney.

After listening to this debut EP you are left with the impression that if they can get a handle on just what they want to be then they have the musical and lyrical ability to put it all together into one neatly packaged, snarling, glamorous but a little bit smarter proper rock and roll band. I dare you to put this CD in your stereo and ever want to take it out again.'

'Dark Glam-Punk from the same stable as Phluid, Liquidhead and to a certain extent The Glitteratti. Decent enough, but fails to leave a major impression. 'Drift Like Effluvia', the opener stands out a mile as the best track with an impressively spooky opening, but descends into fairly generic big-rock-by-numbers: Sinister lyrics, shouty chorus, guitar solo, etc….

It’s not the kind of record you could dislike, but there are just so many more bands in the locality who have that little bit more to offer. In some ways it seems caught in two minds. If it aspires to adding something new to the rock blueprint its (sic) miles away, distinctly lacking in either the invention to make it matter or the tunes to make you care. If however, it fancies itself as nothing more than a big, silly entertaining rock ‘n’ roll record, then fair enough, but its (sic) tough seeing them usurping the likes of The Glitteratti from their big silly rock ‘n’ roll perches in the entertainment stakes.

As a demo this would be fine, a work in progress, plenty of promise; but as a full release, presumably there to be judged as the finished article, its (sic) difficult to see where the market is for this record, other than the people who’ll buy anything that sounds remotely similar. Most of who can be found hanging around outside the Corn Exchange and will probably grow out of it pretty soon.'

'Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups.

You'd assume you couldn't really criticise a band who have songs called 'Charisma Has Dug A Billion Graves', who quote the revolutionary Lettrist International in their debut single sleeve ("We believe that the most urgent expression of freedom is the destruction of idols"), and who label themselves Rock Noir to stop the music press pigeon holing them.

Vicious Cabaret claim to thrive on spite and confrontation, so they should probably confront the fact that their theatrical over-stylisation gives them an air of being a goth Scissor Sisters, and that two of the four songs here ('Drift Like Effluvia', and 'Charisma...') are, when all's said and done, rather weak.

Still, as Baudalair (sic) might have said, there is no criticism without compliment, - and there's plenty to applaud here. Industrial guitars, Transylvanian black melodies, and lyrics filled with malice ("The first look is free/ The second will cost you") all combine to create an unnervingly claustrophobic sense of menace on the decent 'Nuremberg Defence' and the better 'Goodbye Green & Pleasant Land'.

The jury's still out for the moment, then. But don't be surprised if next time round they destroy that too.'

‘Twilight of the Idols is the first EP from Yorkshire's finest Vicious Cabaret. Being very familiar with Steve Maloney whose previous band Johnny Zhivago played quite a few gigs in Newcastle and the surrounding area in their time and built up quite a following. This new band Vicious Cabaret is similar in sound to JZ but seems to have more of an edge.

Whether this is as a result of the EP being produced by Simon Humphrey who engineered The Clash's debut album, and Pat Grogan who has worked with the likes of Terrorvision and New Model Army, whatever it is, this combination certainly seems to work.

The opening track 'Drift Like Effluvia' is very up-tempo and will soon have you tapping along to its infectious beat. 'Nuremberg Defence' is in similar vein to the previous track, but the reverb vocals mid way through, combined with the brashy guitar riffs, give it a little more depth.

'Goodbye Green & Pleasant Land' brings down the tempo a little, while still retaining a punchy mid section that will keep you hooked. The final track 'Charisma Has Dug A Billion Graves' might be a mouthful of a title but to me it's the a highlight of this EP, with its punchy bass, big guitar riffs and dark vocals all go to make this the stand out track of the EP. Let's hope a full album is forth coming in the near future.'

'Vicious Cabaret are a much darker but still extremely engrossing prospect. Sounding like The Hives possessed by the spirit of the Mary Chain or a politiced Brit Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, they play half an hour of good solid angry rock 'n' roll tonight mixing tracks from their new EP including the excellent brooding 'Goodbye Green & Pleasant Land' with other equally poisonous and powerful songs.'

'There's a lot of style on this EP. The music itself is sharp, simple and satisfying. It’s dark and heavy-ish rock with punky overtones. It’s played and sung with energy and conviction. The fast and furiousness, the doubled up harmonies and the drum thunder all work as intended – tight and true for sure. So why do I have doubts?

The graphics and associated blurb promise something more theatrical and mannered than I can hear in the recordings. "...sneering, anti-social vaudeville for the twenty-first century" is the claim, and 20s Berlin sleaze is implied in the art work. But musically they are much more mainstream and less arty. An obvious comparison would be Queens Of The Stone Age. Maybe not quite that inventive, but they wouldn’t let the show down if they were on the bill together.

Steve Maloney has a convincing sneer of a voice, with a bite like Mark E Smith on a good night. The rock moves in guitar bass and drum departments are fiercely well-performed, even if they do stay close to standard furrows. Four four rules with an iron fist and an old fashioned tweedly guitar solo make an appearance. Lyrics are a bit patched together and don't really match the critical loathing of all things normal that I would have expected from the PR.

So it’s all a bit of a puzzle. I'm looking for the best yet, and I'm finding pretty OK. In territory this well explored, I think we need a couple of killer songs to reach out of the genre and do what the pistol on Vicious Cabaret's sleeve threatens.'

'I must admit, the new Queens of the Stone Age single isn’t exactly floting my boat at the moment so receiving the debut EP release from Vicious Cabaret has come as a welcome substitution. Featuring the archetypal riffs, attitude, dark lyrics and black humour that made QOTSA’s early releases so essential, this Bradford based quartet rock out in a style that Josh Homme would be proud of.

Lead track, ‘Drift Like Effluvia’, is the most commercial and melodious track here (in relative terms) but with each passing track things get darker and heavier – ‘Nuremberg Defense’, ‘Goodbye Green & Pleasant Land’ and ‘Charisma Has Dug A Billion Graves’. You get the impression that Vicious Cabaret get a kick out of nurturing disturbing and uncomfortable thoughts and feelings in their listeners.

If the new QOTSA album is crap then at least we have VC to fill the gap somewhat. Let’s hope this is the first of many twisted head fucks from the band.'

Of the four tracks on here, the standout is probably the brooding and ominous 'Goodbye Green And Pleasant Land', which sounds like Franz Ferdinand covering the Jesus & Mary Chain and is all the better for it; though the "politico-Pixies" jaggedness of 'Nuremberg Defence' runs it very close. And the Placebo-on-steroids 'Charisma Has Dug A Billion Graves' deserves a mention for the title alone.

Angry, stylish and packing one hell of a gut punch, we might just have stumbled across something special here.'

'Vicious Cabaret deliver their debut EP - & it’s a car crash through the window of their local guitar shop. Steeped in Glam-esque shapes & constantly illuminated by follow-strobes, Vicious Cabaret blend the life affirming stomp of prime time T-Rex to the darker shadows cast by the throne of METAL. Short, sharp & slightly sinister tasting, Vicious Cabaret have the lyrical courage to match their musical conviction.'

Take tonight's openers Bam Bam Francs who crash through a superbly frenetic 30-minute set of pure panic gas rock recalling "Nurse"-era Therapy? with snarled vocals, frenetic drumming and pickup-melting guitar work. Good stuff.

Better still though are Vicious Cabaret who are, to all intents and purposes, the Hives' evil twins with the cockiness replaced by sheer nastiness. Scowling through their set, these four suited and booted lads churn out a truly... well, vicious racket that's one half Mary Chain and one half Pistols. It's a truly ferocious, feral and fantastic thing.

Some evil people in this world will suggest that you listen to the Libertines or Razorlight. Get yourself a copy of Vicious Cabaret's CD, sharpen it and use it as a frisbee to decapitate them.'

'Reading through the band's biography before pressing play on the CD player I was concerned at the musical content of the compact disc. “Leeds based rock noir” read one part, “the band weld jaded, sarcastic lyrics to a musical backdrop that is by turns smooth and abrasive – a snide rock & roll vaudeville for the denizens of the New World Order” said another. So with apprehension I pressed play.

My fears were immediately allayed as 'Cog In The Machine' growled forth from the speakers sounding very reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age in full flow with monumental guitars, incendiary rhythm and effect-laden vocals which speak of the dark realities of many peoples lives: “Just rolled off the production line/This is the game you learn while you play” and “The four minute warning's no surprise/Drown it in liquor, drown it in vice”.

'History Moan My Name' once again features heavy QOTSA influence in the instrumentation but the vocals have more of an industrial metal feel in the vain of Trent Reznor and Marilyn Manson. Final track, 'We Lie To Ourselves', continues the doom-laden vitriolic soapboxing as vocalist/guitarist, Steve Maloney, provides more cheery couplets such as “Look in the mirror man and see just what you are/Smile slashed across your face like a lobotomy scar” as the rest of the band throttle the very life out of their instruments.

Vicious Cabaret don’t dictate, they just lay forth opinions for the listener to consider which helps keep this trio of songs from becoming truly depressing. You can take or leave the messages in the lyrics and instead focus on the powerhouse guitars, drums and bass should you so wish. Whatever your choice, this is a very promising demo from a band with much more in their pockets. Being a Leeds local myself, I will look forward to catching Vicious Cabaret in the flesh and seeing if their power and vitriol have as much clout on a stage as it does on a little shiny disc. Rating: 8/10'

'Occasionally a band comes along with a concoction of influences so crazy it just might work. Vicious Cabaret are one of those bands. A superb blend of industrial strength guitar, contemplative vocals (sung through a broken mic borrowed from The Strokes), and even the odd movie dialogue sample.

Production-wise this demo is superb, almost up to commercial standard. Leadoff track 'Cog In The Machine' is a four-to-the-floor rocker in the style of Metallica, and although it is perfectly competent and at times impressive, their hearts just don't seem to be in it. Follow up tracks 'History Moan My Name' and 'We Lie To Ourselves' see the band exploring a more angst-ridden emo-rock route along the lines of Soundgarden or Pearl Jam, and it is here where the Cabaret really comes alive. Brooding is their fortress, heaviness their moat. Reverse the tracklisting lads, and you've got a deal.'

'"Every now and then a person comes along that has a different view of the world" the CD starts… and it’s incredible that 4 of these "different" people have met up in Leeds and formed the incredible rock brutality that is Vicious Cabaret.

'Cog In The Machine' has rock anthem feel and an impressively catchy chorus. The music isn’t incredibly interesting - throughout the CD there are no particularly amazing points of even very impressive guitar solos that most people tend to put more effort into than the whole song, but the songs still sound good because the music fits. The same riffs, chords and beats are played over with such thumping enthusiasm it’s not at all disappointing and it just makes you appreciate the fact that at least they’re not trying to be spectacularly different and have failed embarrassingly (like bands often do).

The second song on the CD, 'History Moan My Name' has a brilliant, strong bassline as an introduction that continues through the verse. On the whole CD this is definitely the strongest, most infectious song. 'We Lie To Ourselves' is slightly weaker but the creatively sick lyrics keep you listening, wondering what could possibly come next ("smile slashed across your face like a lobotomy scar"… beautiful).

It’s an impressive 3 track and although Vicious Cabaret seem almost worringly obsessed with snidey, deadly "dark humour", you can imagine people sneaking this record home secretly to sit alone in their rooms with it playing on repeat.'

Abigail Thompson
themusicbasket.com

'Next are sneering sociophobes, Vicious Cabaret. Led by permanently pissed off singer Steve, they describe their sounds as "rock noir"– barbed guitars, biting lyrics and a good deal of contempt for, well, everybody really. The audience lap it up, bouncing and cheering the band as returning heroes, despite this being their first venture onto Selby soil. With responses like this, Vicious Cabaret may just take up residency here… You have been warned!'

Little Hell
screamingtarts.tk

'Vicious Cabaret hail from Leeds & play glamorous rock n roll from the underbelly of the darkside. Their debut demo collection has been spinning away loudly (often on repeat) in the tMx bunker for a couple of months now & is picking up praise with every new pair of ears...'

The Katestar
trakMARX.com

'Vicious Cabaret formed in 2003 in the city of Leeds, England. The band features Steve Maloney on vocals and guitar, Phil Laycock on guitar, Jack Fowler on bass, and Pete Devine on drums.

On this three song demo, in advance of their debut EP, the band introduce their brand of heavy rock in the style of The Wildhearts or The Cult - dirty riffs with corrosive, cynical lyrics. The singer sounds like Iggy Pop, which sits well with the music of Vicious Cabaret.

If I had to choose a favourite song, I would go with 'We Lie To Ourselves'; but all three songs distill garage and punk, with an energy that pays homage to The Stooges. Yes, it's only rock 'n' roll, and I liked it. A great deal.'

Javier
rockarolla.com.ar

'Much more promising are second band on Vicious Cabaret who look like an extremely nasty version of the Rain Band and sound like The Strokes on steroids - pure vitriolic sneering Stooges style garage rock which sounds like it could eat the anodyne likes of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for breakfast. Rest assured if I see this lot playing round here again, I shall be in attendance.'

Andy James
The Vault

'Vicious Cabaret was born in Leeds in the spring of last year, from the ashes of Johnny Zhivago, a seminal English band that gave us some good records.

Steve Maloney, singer and guitarist in both bands, is accompanied now by Phil Laycock on guitar, Rachel Evans on bass, and Pete Devine on the drums. They recorded the three tracks on this promo with producer Gus Bousfield.

'Cog In The Machine' sounds like it was played in a garage, with booming bass, and the second guitar carrying the riff with some taut chords. The song is an explosion of energy.

'History Moan My Name' is founded on a bass-riff, without effects, and brings to mind The Stooges, with their magnificent songs of psycho sounds. The melody sits in the pauses between the saturation of distorted guitars.

'We Lie to Ourselves' is dark rock 'n' roll, perfect for the voice of Steve Maloney. It rides on top of everything, with background vocals that echo evocatively, before vanishing. The whole song is built around the bass and drums, and conjures up the atmosphere of smokey, ancient London pubs.

Despite the limited number of tracks the immediate thought is that this band, just born, has a lot to say, and I consider this demo a very valuable CD.'

Pietro
norespect.it

'An absolutely awesome show with dark glam-punksters Phluid and the scary Bruise from Southampton. Vicious Cabaret are newcomers to the Leeds scene and promise to darken your day a bit more.'

leedsmusicscene.co.uk