rock / alternative
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The Netherlands surely are a hotbed for decent rock music. Ok, I admit, they're also responsible for the gabber culture (drug induced hardcore techno) and the dreadful shlager craze but as far as rock music is concerned, the Dutch rarely disappoint. Just think about bands like Within Temptation, The Gathering, Epica and After Forever, four bands who created an entire genre and made it big. Without them, there would probably never have been a Lacuna Coil or an Evanescence.
Which seamlessly brings me to Shiverburn, a five piece rock vehicle, and their debut 'Road To Somewhere'. They claim to be inspired by bands like Nickelback, Paramore and Alter Bridge, or better, by the whole of the powerful sound of American rock. They formed in 2013 and released a first ep the next year. That ep showed a little bit of Shiverburn's ultimate goal: absolute domination in the rock industry. In that aspect, the debut full-length, 'Road To Somewhere' is an excellent step into rock stardom.
Musically, that gigantic aspiration translates into strong riffs, catchy melodies and the strong and versatile voice of Sanne. The music strongly nudges towards hard rock, sometimes even blasting out some fierce metal riffs. In the meantime, Sanne adds a whole lot of sing-along capacity, certainly in the chorus of songs like 'Breaking Me', 'Explanation' and 'Sick Of Waiting'. Some of these songs are potential smash hits, due to appear on several charts and yearly best-of compilations.
As much as I like the album, and I really like it, it raises a question for me. What is Shiverburn going to do after this? On one hand, they have the potential to be respected members of the (hard) rock community with their heavy, in-your-face sound and their strong charisma. Yet, with radio-hit candidates like these, it's easy to fall into the trap of flat commercialism, leading to stale pop songs who make them a lot of money. It's going to be a tough decision for Shiverburn, but either way, they deserve it.
Serge
Which seamlessly brings me to Shiverburn, a five piece rock vehicle, and their debut 'Road To Somewhere'. They claim to be inspired by bands like Nickelback, Paramore and Alter Bridge, or better, by the whole of the powerful sound of American rock. They formed in 2013 and released a first ep the next year. That ep showed a little bit of Shiverburn's ultimate goal: absolute domination in the rock industry. In that aspect, the debut full-length, 'Road To Somewhere' is an excellent step into rock stardom.
Musically, that gigantic aspiration translates into strong riffs, catchy melodies and the strong and versatile voice of Sanne. The music strongly nudges towards hard rock, sometimes even blasting out some fierce metal riffs. In the meantime, Sanne adds a whole lot of sing-along capacity, certainly in the chorus of songs like 'Breaking Me', 'Explanation' and 'Sick Of Waiting'. Some of these songs are potential smash hits, due to appear on several charts and yearly best-of compilations.
As much as I like the album, and I really like it, it raises a question for me. What is Shiverburn going to do after this? On one hand, they have the potential to be respected members of the (hard) rock community with their heavy, in-your-face sound and their strong charisma. Yet, with radio-hit candidates like these, it's easy to fall into the trap of flat commercialism, leading to stale pop songs who make them a lot of money. It's going to be a tough decision for Shiverburn, but either way, they deserve it.
Serge
