Lechery have been around since 2004 and the names prominently dropped at the top of their Press Release are HammerFall and Bloodbound and there are certainly many moments on Violator where Lechery come across like both those bands as well as a host of others. One thing that we don’t get on this CD is anything particularly original but, if you like fairly traditional Heavy Metal with big choruses, you may well be interested in picking up a copy. One thing we do get though is a good sound courtesy of Rickard Bengtsson who has previously worked with Arch Enemy, Spiritual Beggars and Armageddon. The Arch Enemy connection doesn’t end there as guitarist and vocalist Martin Bengtsson was once a member of that particular band although Lechery sound nothing like them. 

Without reinventing any wheels whatsoever Lechery have made a perfectly serviceable record and nowhere is this better illustrated than in the first song Rise With Me which rocks along very nicely indeed and has a chorus that has haunted me over the 2007 Christmas/New Year period. Come Alive would fit in quite nicely on HammerFall’s Crimson Thunder CD I thought initially before it veers towards Motley Crue circa Girls, Girls, Girls via W.A.S.P. This is another winner and the guitars are very enjoyable here not being overly widdly or intrusive. 

I Am The One is the best track on offer building up from a gentle beginning to become quite insistent again powered along By solid guitars and a Blackie Lawless sound alike vocal. Hero of the Night keeps the positive momentum going and whilst it won’t win any awards for creativity it does a job. Your Fate has somewhat of an 80’s feel again with a more understated chorus but the opening perhaps does sound a tad too like HammerFall and you either love or hate them.  

It’s around about the middle of the platter that one may begin to feel that every thing is a bit samey and to be fair, it is! However, What Burns in Their Eyes is another good tune and I always find that to be fairly important and Slave Under Passion is also good without venturing into the realms of greatness but f**k me, the guitar work sounds very much as if Messer’s Dronjak and Elmgren  were moonlighting from their day jobs. To my ears Why wouldn’t have been overly out of place on the last W.A.S.P. album (which I liked) whilst Cynical is perhaps the heaviest offering on Violator. Attraction is what I consider to be the weakest track as the chorus just didn’t grab me but Open Your Eyes rounds the disc off on a bit of a high and for some reason reminded me of Magnum although I’m not overly sure of why! 

Lechery, as the cliché goes, don’t pull up many trees nor indeed move many mountains in terms of bringing anything new to the musical landscape but if you like the bands I’ve referenced and are looking to get your 2008 CD buying  up and running, there will be many worse efforts than this.

Let us know your views on Violator

Track Listing

Rise With Me
Come Alive
I Am The One
Hero Of The Night
Your Fate
What Burns In Their Eyes
Slave Under Passion
Why
Cynical
Attraction
Open Your Eyes

Line Up

Martin Bengtsson - Guitar/Vocals
Fredrik Nordstrandh - Guitar/Keyboards
Robert Persson - Drums
Martin Karlsson - Bass