EP review: FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS – Exposition: The Five Before The Flames

Goremount Records (Released 11th March 2013)

Exposition: The Five Before The Flames. Five songs written by each individual band member, giving a better insight to their personal characteristics within the dystopian world of Grandomina – a prequel to their debut album ‘Militia Of The Lost’. The tracklist is as follows;
The Pilot: P-train
The Thief: Merchants of Decay
The Mechanist: Handlung (Stargazer)
The Vigilante: Death or Disgrace
The Prince: Diamond Dust and Crimson Reign

Exposition gives quite a different feel than the usual FVK material. Each track has its own atmosphere and sound; a time capsule in which a particular band member has mixed his personal music taste with a streak of creativity and wild ambition into a piece that reflects them and their unique abilities as an individual.

P-Train is opens the EP, a heavy guitar number cleverly combined with acoustic elements,quite different from Merchants of Decay; a slightly slower song, with a more laid-back attitude. Only two tracks in and already, ‘Exposition’ is looking very promising. Next is Handlung which has a pop-like twist to it with a crashing drum beat blended with harmonic vocals. It’s a good halfway mark, and gives a positive momentum towards the next tracks. Death or Disgrace gives a more macabre atmosphere to Exposition, containing a more traditional FVK approach with a killer chorus (if you’ll pardon the pun…) and a fast beat that’s sure to get your foot tapping. To round it all off is Diamond Dust and Crimson Reign which is the icing on the cake – a song packed with great vocal and music contrast, feeling, and a good beat which draws the curtains on Exposition very nicely.

As I mentioned earlier, each track was written by a different member of Fearless Vampire Killers; so here’s my guess:
Drew Woolnough (bass) wrote – The Pilot: P-Train
Luke Illingworth (drums) wrote – The Thief: Merchants of Decay
Shane/Cyrus Barrone (guitar) wrote – The Mechanist: Handlung (Stargazer)
Kier Kemp (vocals/guitar) wrote – The Vigilante: Death or Disgrace
Laurence Beveridge (vocals/guitar) wrote – The Prince: Diamond Dust and Crimson Reign

To summarise, Exposition: The Five before the Flames is a collage of various sounds and enthusiasm. Each track offers a great melody, catchy riffs and an example of FVKs immense hard work. What can I say? They’ve pulled it off again!

*****

Jasmine Ritchie

For fans of: My Chemical Romance, Queen

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 6 October 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 8 October 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 28 October 2024

IZZY REIGN Spooky Scary Skeletons (FiXT)
THE RASMUS Rest In Pieces (Better Noise Music)
THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)

Featured Albums w/c 28 October 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)