Castrovalva - We Are A Unit

We Are A Unit is the debut full-length album from Leeds three-piece Castrovalva, released in April 2010. Following on from their self-titled mini-album, Castrovalva have grown to include vocalist Leemun Smith, who adds to the stripped-down instrumental duo and helps broaden their sound.

Noisy is definitely one way to describe the sound of Castrovalva – if you are familiar with bands like Lightning Bolt then you have a good basis to work on: a manic drummer and a bassist rather fond of his distortion going at it and making as big a racket as they can. Compared to the aforemented Lightning Bolt though, they manage to stick to much more of a traditional groove throughout, which grabs you from the off and draws you in. On top of that are some somewhat unique vocals from newcomer Smith that start of with a very Fred Durst-esque growl before shifting up to a completely different register, occupied normally only by the likes of Axl Rose. Add this all together and you have Castrovalva: a whirlwind of energy and distortion.

The album starts with the track We Are A Unit (Intro) which, right from the off, shows you exactly who Castrovalva are, by dropping into a menacing bass riff, giving you a moment of introduction before the rest of the band opens up, hardly pausing for breath until the closing moments of the album. The only diversions from this come in the centre of the album, with the track We Don’t Go To Ravenholm offering a slightly more laid back sound before ramping up the volume, and the following track Hooliganz R Us, which trades the wall of bass for brass yet still keeps the sound and energy intact.

While not exactly relaxed listening, We Are A Unit is an energy filled blast of noise that picks you up and drags you along whether you like it or not.

For more information check out the bands official site at http://www.pumppump.co.uk/, with more music and tour dates to be found at www.myspace.com/castrovalvamusic

DL