Being an every-man Hard Rock band is unusual in today's sub-genre dominant music industry, with trendsetting being the goal of most. It's most refreshing when a band plays music that anyone and everyone can turn it on, turn it up, and just rock to the sound without having to dissect the lyrics, using a dictionary to comprehend the message. This is the standard by which genuine Rock 'n Roll was created, and the strategy that VALIENT THORR has lived by. Being a blue-collar band that has been around for what seems like forever, VALIENT THORR plays a hook-heavy, infectious sound, similar to MOTORHEAD, that has made them cult-like to their massive following. With the release of "Old Salt", their 7^th full-length album, they continue to give their fans what they have come to expect from the Chapel Hill, North Carolina based Hard Rock mainstay. Check out my track-by-track review of the record:

"Mirakuru" is the opener, which starts of with a Hardcore influenced riff. The track is bass driven, strong and energetic. The vocals and the guitars are done pretty well here. A great start for the album. "Lil Knife" is bluesy, has an old school feel to it, yet seems fresh and kicks ass. Vocals are powerful and the drums are good too. But it's the guitars that really shine on this track. "Cut and Run" is another blues driven track, with a lot of ZEPPELIN and SABBATH influences, here and there. Great drumming, superb vocals, and a killer guitar solo; one of the best tracks on the album. "No Count Blues" is fast! The track has a very MOTORHEAD-esque vibe to it. It's filled with licks and solos, pounding drums, and fierce vocals. A real treat for headbangers, for sure. "The Trudge" is a mid tempo track with lot of BLACK SABBATH influences, from the vocals to the instrumentation. All in all, a decent track.

"Worm Up" is a raw and powerful track that features versatile vocals, which goes from full on fierce, to a much melodic tone. The guitars sound twisted and dark at times, but they never give up on being melodic. Besides the vocals, the drumming on this track stands out. "Spellbroke" is full of riffage; hard and powerful riffs, with great leads and solos. The versatile drumming and memorable vocals really stand out, especially in the chorus. "Linen Maker" is two minutes long acoustic interlude. It's Serene and beautiful. "The Shroud" starts with a bang with all the drums and the guitars, and all of a sudden, the bass kicks in. A delight for the senses, everything on this song stands out and shines. A powerful track in a nutshell. "Looking Glass" is catchy as hell. The vocals thrive on this track and has decent riffs and drumming. The bass is audible, which also features a guitar solo that is melodic, powerful and very well done.

"Jealous Gods" is the closing track of the album. The track has some prog influences on it besides the blues and old school rock and roll influences. A very well written track. "Somnambluance" is a Digital Bonus Track. The track goes back to the roots of rock. It's old school and melodic; in short, it's a killer track."Deillumination" is another Digital Bonus Track that starts off with some spoken words and eerie music playing in the background and then it gets crazy. Like real crazy. You need to hear it to believe it.

With the saturated Rock 'n Roll genre continuing to spread into an increasing number of sub-categories, a good record is becoming more difficult to find these days. And if your craving for straight-up, American style Hard Rock continues to grow, VALIENT THORR has delivered a really good album to suppress your appetite; pick up "Old Salt", turn it on and turn it up. I highly recommend this one.<