Danish Hardcore Rock'n'Roll band SONS OF DEATH VALLEY takes you on a ride back into the past when oppression was high, unity, and dreams of freedom where at their highest peaks. These guys take us back to the 19^th century. This concept band tells the story through outlaw Joaquin Murieta whose dying wish was a bloody revenge. The guys take us to the darkest corners of Death Valley in their debut album release "The Day Of Reckoning".

The album starts off somewhere between and Old Country Rock and a Bluesy feel. The screamed vocals, that remind me of the screams in OF MICE AND MEN, were completely unexpected. The sound gets much harder and more intune with the vocals. Most of the vocals throughout are screamed, but there are a few spots where he speak-sings, and those areas have my heart. I enjoy the breaks from the screams, just like in any Metal I listen to; I enjoy it most with contrasting main vocals.

I can hear the musicianship in the album, its just extremely hard through the screams. Any instruments are almost absorbed within the screams. The drums have some clarity in the vocal chaos. The guitars are completely drowned out at some points and the bass seems nonexistent. It's only heard rarely. Im not sure if it's just me that, like with OF MICE AND MEN, I find it hard to focus on the music when the screams take everything over.

Of what I did hear, the bass and guitar can create cohesive music together and apart. Mostly the intros to the tracks and some solos show the talent the rest of the group has. The drums are nicely done as well and can be heard over the vocals.

The tracks that I feel really show all the strengths held by SONS OF DEATH VALLEY are "Cutter Throat" and "Facing the Gallows". "Facing the Gallows" because the opening is just good, plain and simple. It is nice music that I liked listening to. I enjoyed the bass and guitar in tune-ism held within. The bass kills it and the guitars put it over the edge. "Cutter Throat" because again, you can just hear how great and cohesive the band is. The screaming in these two tracks adds to the value.

SONS OF DEATH VALLEY's debut was not what I was expecting at all. Being a concept album and reading the press release I was thinking this was going to be more of a Southern Rock style. Boy was I wrong.  It is nothing like what I was thinking and that is refreshing. I did enjoy the album. I wasn't overly impressed with the vocals mainly because they were so in your face all the time and it was hard to hear the musical gold these guys have underneath. Creating a contrast of vocal interest is incomplete.