Saturday, August 17, 2019

Veruca Salt - Eight Arms To Hold You

Veruca Salt came back in 1997 with a second album.  If anything it rocks even harder than their debut.  Straight opens it up with pounding drums and belting guitar riffs and sets the tone for the album.  Volcano Girls is the catchiest moment here, it's like a slightly heavier Seether, with a tiny bit of early Nine Inch Nails thrown in.  Even songs that seem relatively 'fluffy' such as Awesome and With David Bowie have a hard edge.  

They can dial down the intensity on One Last Time and Benjamin, staying just the right side of radio ballad.  One complaint, 14 tracks if anything dilutes rather than enhances the album, they might have been as well off to edit the album somewhat.  Still, it's well worth your time for the numerous highpoints.