Over the years, Danish Raunchy have taken a considerable amount of flack for being a pop band pretending to be metal. They certainly utilise pop elements and synths have always been part of their soundscape, but to call Raunchy a pop band is, in my book anyway, downright wrong.

The six Danes prove this with their new album, 'Vices.Virtues.Visions.', the band's first offering on Massacre Records. The album features some of the most solid and heavy riffing of the band's 20-year career and, appropriately you could say, also some of the most brutal vocals. When former vocalist Kasper Thomsen left Raunchy last year, one was a trifle concerned because his energy and voice in my eyes was a defining factor for the band. But, lo and behold, new man Mike Semesky (formerly of The Haarp Machine and Intervals) stands the test and adds a layer of brutality that suits Raunchy immensely.

One song I'd like to highlight is because it so efficiently fuses pop and brutality is Anasthesia Throne. The song starts out so very softly and leaves you thinking at first that this is going to be a ballad. It isn't. One of those hard as shit riffs I talked about before takes over, Mike then growls his way through a verse on top of something that is more melodic, more brutality, then clean vocal, more melody, then a stomping thrash riff, more growl. I mean...there's a lot to this song without it getting annoying. It's just a great song, alright! And it doesn't stand alone, that's the beauty of it.

If you like the modern touch in your metal and don't mind synths, then I suggest you look this way and check out one of the best Danish metal albums of 2014.