A hodgepodge of musicians from all over the world, The Glorious Veins got together in New York City to breathe new life into post-punk with a fiery blues background. Funded by their fans, the six piece recorded their sophomore album Savage Beat entirely to two inch analog tape.

If you're not a fan of hooks, intricate rhythms, timeless harmonies, and well, I'll say it, glorious riffs, then you may as well stop reading now. If all those things are up your alley, get ready to brush up on your air guitar skills with this propulsive and kinetic rock 'n' roll experience.

Need some old-fashioned guitar wailing? Spend time with the title track “Savage Beat,” where Matt Howel's forceful vocals match the barrage of riffs and solos. It's not all loud and howling, though; “Jai Alia” begins quietly before gradually working its way into thundering, and “From The Desk” starts off as something recorded in a saloon during prohibition before switching to quirky. There's an awful lot of weirdness to be found here, and I mean that in the most charitable way. Tracks like “Tin Foil Hats” go from oldies into rap and the electronica charged '80s tune “Choreomania" is wonderfully nostalgic. Other tracks, namely “Let Me Go” and “Death Rattle,” are less bizarre, instead switching to full throttle alt-rock.

Highly textured and endlessly layered, the band employed strings, synth, woodwinds, bells, and timpani across these very diverse selections. Self-described as “bluesy post punk dance rock from Mars,” that label sums it up as good as anything. Toss in plenty of gritty energy and a very live feel and you have a band carving their own path and doing it oh so well.

Rating: A

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