(Over the next few weeks I’ll be going into a little more detail about each band in my “Favorite bands since 2000” post back in March.  This time around we take a look at North Carolina’s Valient Thorr)

You know, I’ve seen quite a few concerts over my lifetime and have sat through a number of opening bands; some decent, some kinda meh, and some that have knocked me out so much that I leave the show thinking “who WERE those guys???”  Back in 2011, my brother Steve and I went to Chicago to see Motorhead at the Congress Theater (thanks to a Christmas gift from my awesome wife) who were supported by Clutch and Valient Thorr.  Clutch I was already familiar with and was already a big fan of, but all I’d heard from this band with the funny sounding name was the song “Exit Strategy” courtesy of a video via OnDemand cable.  The song was good but didn’t quite grab me.  But boy, were we ever in for a shock of epic proportions.

I still don’t quite remember what song they started off with (likely “Double Crossed” per the footage below), but right from the get go these guys had out attention.  With a mix of heavy metal zaniness and punk rock spirit Valient and the boys rocked hard through their brief five (or was it six?) song set as all five members were energetic and a blur of non-stop movement.  It may have been only one song in when lead singer Valient Himself decided that it was just a bit too hot up there and decided to ditch his vest and shirt, which wasn’t too surprising as this guy had already worked up a sweaty mess running in place and trying to fire up the crowd.  These guys look like a band of pirates or Vikings crossed with a local biker gang but who cares?  I didn’t know any of the songs that they played but left the show totally impressed by their energetic and enthusiastic performance and knew I’d be buying some (well, actually ALL now) of their CDs.

My lasting memory from the show was midway through their third or fourth song, where Valient made a couple of hand motions to the crowd asking us to leave a little bit of space on the floor so he could jump down and…  lead us all in a massive rowing session?!?!?  And sure enough, the crowd followed suit and sat down with him as he proceeded to row in time to the music.  We weren’t sure what in the hell he was doing from the stage at first but once he got on the floor and rowed we just about fell over.  A bit odd but hilarious at the same time.

A little bit of band background…  Valient Thorr has been together since 2000 and is a five piece band that hails from Chapel Hill, North Carolina  The band has released an EP independently and has five other CDs to their name, the latest being Our Own Masters.  Musically, these guys are hard to pin down as they are a mix of heavier southern rock, hardcore punk, and classic heavy metal-  think AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, D.R.I., Motorhead, and Blackfoot all mixed together and you’re kind of in the ballpark.  Vocally, Valient Himself is not the greatest of singers, belting things out in more of a full throated speak/sing style that sounds a mix of a Southern preacher, Mojo Nixon, and a professional wrestler cutting a promo (YouTube “Buzz Sawyer” or “Dusty Rhodes” and you’re close), but he is a totally unique and energetic frontman.  Guitarists Eidan Thorr and Sadat Thorr are a great team, showcasing unison guitar riffs and leads in similar fashion to southern rock greats like Molly Hatchet along with Iron Maiden and the aforementioned Thin Lizzy; and the rhythm section of Lucian Thorr and new bassboy Storm Thorr bash out solid tempos at often breakneck speed.

Yeah, these dudes put on an awesome show and write some great tunes but let’s not forget what a sense of humor they have as well.  With a name like Valient Thorr how can they not be funny?  Just check out their videos-  from their take on The Office for the “Torn Apart” video, to the manic house party in “Double Crossed”, or their daily routine in the rollicking “Sleeper Awakes”.  Why make a boring performance video when you can add a little bit to it?  And just to show that these guys aren’t all fun and games you’ll come across some lyrically hard-hitting topics in their cuts “Exit Strategy”, “Tomorrow Police”, “Goveruptcy” or “Red Flag” all tackling serious subjects but still performed at a manic and furious pace.

If you dig energetic songs, if you dig top notch riffs, if you dig manic drumming, and if you dig a vocalist that’s out there, you’ll absolutely love Valient Thorr.  Start with Stranger or Immortalizer first, enjoy, go out and buy the rest, and then go catch them live.  Trust me, you WILL have fun.