Fellow readers of this website should remember VALERIE from Norway, presented on these pages some years ago with their debut CD. If you are new to them, you have the chance now to listen to this ambitious Melodic Hard Rock band as their album “Young Hunger” has been reissued, in the same version of the Demon Doll Records release including a bonus track.
The style of Valerie is pure classic Melodic Hard / AOR with a sound and style influenced by ’80s acts like Icon, Dalton, Da Vinci or Dokken, aiming for big, sing-along choruses and guitar riffs, along with blistering guitar solos and soaring vocal harmonies. Valerie is feels like a 1987 act… with an updated sound.
On these tracks this young band shows the maturity of a seasoned veteran group; from the killer guitar work by BT Valerie (not to mention his vocals) to the uplifting midsection of bassist Augustus Clark and drummer Erlend Omdal, complemented by the crunchy rhythm guitar of Magnus Christiansen.
Starting with the AOR-driven heaven of “Night After Night”, the album shows how much the guys have matured both musically and as performers.
More rocking but still plenty of sing-along choruses and harmonies are the catchy “Bye Bye”, the layered “Firm Believer”, the heavier “No Way Back”, and the anthemic, infectious title track “Young Hunger”.
“Love & Affection” is another highlight (reminds me Firehouse) mixed with Autograph, while “The Last Time” is the ballad, but not your typical one: it’s all based on harmony vocals and some synths / pianos in the background – love this one.
Following the success of their previous effort, Valerie once again teamed up with producer Bård Torstensen of Swedish-grammy award winning band Clawfinger and legendary producer Beau Hill (Ratt, Warrant, Europe).
Beau Hill himself contacted the band after hearing “Night After Night”, the lead singleof this album on a local radio station in Texas, exclaiming that ‘there is some serious musical brainpower in this one’, and offered to do the mixing on this, their sophomore release.
“Young Hunger” is a no-brainer for any ’80s Melodic Hard Rock fan, mixing American / European sounds of the genre with success.
1 Night After Night
2 Love & Affection
3 Bye, Bye
4 Firm Believer
5 All I Want (All I Need)
6 No Way Back
7 Young Hunger
8 The Last Time
9 Dance (Heart To Heart)
10 Together As One
11 Get Ready (Bonus Track)
Valerie – Young Hunger 2022 Reissue Bonus Track Edition
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