I was in touch with bandleader Anthony Hunter before receiving the demo and he had asked me “Why do you want the demo to review?  We suck!” I knew right there that I wanted to review the CD and confirm to him that yes, they really do suck. Well, I can’t do that!

Velvet69 have a very vibrant sound that adds to the mysticism of the band. Anthony considers the band to have a Rocky Horror style, and I can confirm that. The demo opens with a rendition of the Rolling Stones “Shot Away” in an ambient style. Anthony’s vocals sound similar to Marilyn Manson but have more of a pop style. The keyboards are eerie, and combined with the vocal mix give it a very demonic sound.

“A. C. E” is a catchy tune that sounds similar to something that WASP might do, but with better vocals in my opinion. I see Velvet69 as a Glam-Goth band that can put you in a trance and I really like the music that Velvet69 possess. Not all of their music is laid back, however; both “Medicated” and “God Damn Bored” are raw hardcore rocking brain damage inducing pulsating music. Marilyn Manson better watch out; Velvet69 is creeping up to take hold of the crown.

For a demo that has 13 tracks, there are many excellent tunes to be heard, spanning from hard rock to space-age music. If we were back in the days of David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust” this CD would be a chartbuster. I believe that once this band has a solid foundation, they can make the move to a bigger stage, and they will be very difficult to ignore.