Valient Thorr - Total Universe Man

With a name like Valient Thorr and a back story about landing on earth by way of Venus back in 1957, how can you go wrong? Weird would definitely be one way to describe this record, but "good" and "rock" would be two others that fit quite well. Valient Thorr is speed metal (but no too fast), thrash (but not too trashy), and arena rock all blended in a way that almost feels like a joke poking fun at those genres but has enough spirit to also make it feel honest. Perhaps one of the most positive traits of the music is the storytelling that carries through the record. It is rewarding to see that the band didn't let things slip here. It should be obvious that not everyone is going to find value in the band's music. To some it will just be silly or to cheesy, or a little too Darkness-esque with much more insane (if you can believe that) vocals. However, if you keep an open mind, I think you will find enjoyment in at least the first few listens of Total Universe Man. Even though I have head the band's name for a number of years, it didn't register until now that Valient Thorr is a local band (Chapel Hill counts as local). Now that the band has been picked up by Volcom Entertainment and gotten some promotion muscle behind them, you will most likely be hearing much more about them and their mission to rock very soon. After all, according to Mr. Thorr himself, even the band's name is all about rock: "That's why there are two Rs in Thorr - It's for rock 'n' roll." [www.valientthorr.com]