Review: Valley of the Sun - The Chariot

Valley of the Sun is a heavy rock quartet hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio. All right, I have to admit, I slept on this band. They’ve been around for twelve years and prior to their upcoming LP, The Chariot, which will see the light of day on June 17^th via the mighty Ripple Music, they had released three albums and an EP. How did I never get around to giving them a proper listen? They must’ve fallen through the cracks of the ever-increasing ocean of music releases coming out on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. For this one though, they have my full attention. The Chariot is one hell of a stunning album, ladies and gents!

Valley of the Sun provide a healthy dose of heavy rock mixed with some good old grunge to the delight of our ears. They remind me a lot of the Stone Temple Pilots and often give off an Alice in Chains vibe, which is always a good thing in my book. The first two tracks, “Sweet Sands” and “Images”, are solid heavy rock numbers. They’re followed by the two awesome singles, “Devil I’ve Become”, which is a barn-burner, and the title track, “The Chariot”, maybe my favorite track of the whole record. “Headlights” is rooted in STP territory, “As We Decay” is a beauty and shows the band slowing the pace for a more laid-back track. “Running Out of Love” is an earworm of a song that will get you humming its catchy lyrics. “Sunblind” is a kick-ass, old school rock tune with a fiery tempo. “The Flood” is one of the highlights of the record with its powerful rhythm and relentless guitar playing. “Colosseum” brings the curtain down in stunning fashion, with harmonies channelling Alice in Chains and pulling you into its grip one last time.

The Chariot is the kind of album you put on in your car for a long drive to make sure you’ll have a great time while getting to where you’re going. It’s the perfect throwback to the ‘90s with a fresh coat of paint to give it some extra appeal for these dark modern times we live in. If you’re into grungy rock ‘n’ roll, high-octane heavy rock, or you like your stoner rock with muscles, then look no further: Valley of the Sun’s The Chariot will take you where you wanna go. So, grab a cold beer, pre-order your copy today, and get the two fantastic singles instantly.

Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page for The Chariot: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-chariot

Valley of the Sun’s Bandcamp page: https://valleyofthesun.bandcamp.com/