VCR

Power Destiny

(Side One Dummy)

Record Review by Michele Fair

In the late 1980s up until the early 1990s, Richmond, Virginia was considered by many to be the punk rock capital of the East Coast.  Over time, however, this Mecca of heavy music died out, and the scene slowly faded away.  That is, until VCR came along.  VCR is a spazzcore, post punk combo from Richmond that blends keyboards, high octane jams, and powerful vocals.  They’ve been around for a while now and have even toured worldwide.  With the release of their full length, Power Destiny (recorded in Holland, ironically), they’re here to put Richmond back on the map.  The album is a nonstop cavalcade of pure energy and raw emotion, from the opening track (“Mega God Blast”), all the way to the closer (“Gasoline Blood”).  What’s left in between is sheer energy and a pounding, in your face demand to get off your ass and thrash.

Keyboards are not only prevalent on Power Destiny, but really serve as the backbone for VCR.  The tweaking, up-and-down spiraling synths may lead a lot of people to think that VCR are making an overly obvious attempt to be New Wave.  This is not the case, however, because the keys used on Power Destiny serve as the guitars, making the band’s sound more of a pre-apocalyptic foretelling of the future of new music.  Every song is punctuated by Chad Middleton’s deep, throaty vocals, and every track has the ability to kick you from behind when you least expect it.  Overall, Power Destiny is a fun album with less thought-provoking material and more straight-up rock.  For those who may get a chance to see VCR live, you’re in for a treat.  If you’re looking for a loud assault of fist-raising rock n’ roll, VCR delivers.