Bring It On
Leicester's hard rocking Invey win the prize for most creative press release of the year so far, with their colourful A5 booklet, which carries a host of plaudits from numerous publications (including a quote from these very pages!). Given the aforementioned praise it's surprising that they remain unsigned, this clearly hasn't stopped them getting themselves heard and 'Addiction for Comfort' is a well packaged release.
Singer Claire Natalie goes through pretty much every vocal style on the menu, some work better than others, the chorus of opener 'Release' is instantly impressive but in the melody there's just something that doesn't quite hit home. 'Heaven Sent' brings a harder riff but it's not until 'Not Listening' that the vocals really shine; it's not in the melody but more in the punchy, almost spoken parts where they are delivered with real venom and passion.
There are some issues with the production, now and again it sounds a little flat but overall it's a good showcase for the band. Invey have something of a reputation for their live performance and it's not hard to imagine how the songs on offer here would transfer well to a live environment. The songs are solid throughout, successfully fusing melody with harder, crunching riffs whilst never losing sight of a good tune. Claire Natalie continues to career between soaring melodies, guttural screams and an almost rap style; her vocal range is impressive but in the more melodic sections it sounds a touch nasally and doesn't work as well as the harder sections.
Title track 'Addiction for Comfort' is actually one of the least memorable songs on the album but it's followed by one of the best in 'Bring It On'. This is pure driven metal with visceral vocals and hard chugging riffs and it's in these moments that Invey really impress. Penultimate track 'What You Give to Me' is similarly impressive and gives way to the finale of 'Sweet Oblivion', which ensures that proceedings go out in a wave of heavy, yet melodic riffs.
There's plenty to like about Invey, good tunes, plenty of grit and attitude and yet (in their recorded work at least) you feel that they still have work to do. I imagine that as a live band they are quite devastating and perhaps they just need to inject a little more of that into the studio?