After the enormous success of Hungry Ghost, Violent Soho have not shied away from the giant challenge they set themselves. Stepping up to the plate and offering forward their latest aural lovechild Waco; a record that will quickly riddle its way into the hearts and heads of rock fans nationally and only further reiterate the need for our national anthem to be indisputably changed to a Violent Soho ballad.

Warm twanging guitars open and unveil the much awaited fourth studio album from Australia’s coveted chrome doting favourites. When the drums start and make their debut, you find yourself in a short frenzy of shrieking vocals of Luke Boerdam ear shrieking vocals as you’re more than certain ‘Soho are back.  ‘How To Taste’ offers forward a progressive beginning, transitioning from mellow twanging rapidly into the crashing intensity the Mansfield favourites are renown for.

‘How To Taste’ shows a sonic reminiscence of pre-Hungry Ghost material, spun with all the attributes of its successful predecessor that solidified it as arguably one of the most defining rock albums to emerge from Australia in the last decade. From the very first track, Waco steps up to the legacy set by Hungry Ghost, exhibiting the tantalising pace and vocals that have Australian fans irrevocably hooked; showcasing their consistently that allowed them to travel sold-out tours while infusing it with a little more self-awareness and growth.

Amping up the pace for the second song of the album ‘Blanket’, Violent Soho flaunt an organic maturing, retaining all the infectious rhythmic pace changes that flawlessly entwine with the natural rise and fall of vocals. With these elements in mind, their humour continues to combine into what is sure to be one of the hidden gems of this release. Playfully toying with an alternating pace – added to by a rhythmic bass line that swirls together with building guitars – the instrumentals peak into a sing-a-long inspiring chorus; ‘Viceroy’ remaining headstrong and bold in the first uttering of the chorus “King of the Viceroy!” 

In a similar anthem-like inspiring fashion to ‘Viceroy’, Violent Soho dish out a killer ‘Like Soda’. Comparable to track ‘Blanket’, ‘Like Soda’ showcases warmer and more playful experimentation with pace and is juxtaposed against the sombre sounds of slower tracks like ‘Sentimental’. First dropped last October, the band had amassed such widespread popularity that it hadn’t just been sitting idle and riding the success but instead, was amazing audience nationally with it’s equally experimental music video.

Enormous and diverse sound is abundant on this release as Violent Soho are heard not only experimenting with pace but also a new sense of self-awareness. Especially evident through a fuller sound, careful multilayering in ‘Slow Wave’ and ‘Evergreen’ see the four-piece move away from prior tracks on Waco, trading in warmth for an overall thicker and more constructed end product.

With anticipation captivating fans leading up to the release of Waco, March 18th will see their excitement greeted with a hug from an old friend, offering forward a new body of songs that provides track after track of “Hell Fuck Yeah” moments. Organically moving forward, the enormity that swarmed Hungry Ghost will now be reiterated and celebrated as they “were not defeated”.

Waco is due for release this Friday via I Oh You. 

8/10