Skarlett Riot – Villain CD review

If you want a female fronted rock band who aren’t your typical Paramore wanabee band. A band whose lyrics have so much aggression, anarchy and passion jammed into them. Then Lincolnshire based Skarlett Riot are a band you need to have in your life and their new EP entitled Villain is a record you need in your collection. Made up of slick sleaze laden guitar grooves, powerful, scream out loud choruses and all around attitude and angst – Villain is an EP that truly rocks, completely destroying that typical view of women fronted rock bands and showing the world just why the UK rock scene is the best scene going!

There isn’t a dull moment on Villain. It’s a rip roaring, high flying rocket ride that will have you throwing the horns, singing at the top of your voice and banging your head to these five brilliant tunes that Skarlett Riot should be pleased that they have composed. From the fist pumping chorus of ‘Party Hard’, to the high octane, energy fuelled guitar riffs of ‘You’re the Enemy’ and ‘Take It All’, Skarlett Riot will have caught you, hook line and sinker, as you let your ear drums indulge themselves to these incredible radio friendly rock anthems.

Choruses are the key ingredient to writing a kick ass song, and it is clear from all the tracks on Villain that Skarlett Riot where full of mind blowing choruses when writing this EP. They are the kind of choruses that you can imagine everybody at concerts, club nights and at home would immediately sing along to and throw down to when it smashes through the speakers/PA. Especially the very memorable chorus of ‘Read My Lips’ which will have you screaming the chorus: “So read my lips as I say goodbye, walk away now don’t you cry. Clench your fist, don’t you fucking try” Over and over again for weeks to come!

If there is one contradiction to Villain – it would be that Skarlett Riot has put a “Censored” version of ‘Read My Lips’ on the EP. Surely Skarlett Riot had some more ideas floating about which they could have put on Villain in the form of an extra song, instead of putting the same song on twice. It is a very petit complaint, but after hearing some of the finest examples of female fronted rock on the rest of this EP, it is a shame that there aren’t a few more tracks on Villain.

Hopefully we can be expecting big things from Skarlett Riot over the next year or so – maybe even a full new album. One thing is for sure. If it is anything like Villain and has the same calibre and style of songs on it, it will be freaking amazing. [7/10]