Velozza - Apocaholic (2021)

Velozza is an old-school thrashmetal band from Limburg, the Netherlands. They released their album Apocaholic during the covid lockdown and because of that, it maybe hasn’t had a much attention as it could have. We are of course happy to give it a listen and tell the world what we think.

Apocaholic

First things first: The quality of the recording is good, really good. Drums are tight, riffs are crisp, and cut through the mix very well, as well as give that pounding thrash vibe. With the drums front and center in the mix, the mix alone already has a lot of energy. There is a good balance between groovy riffs and melodic leads, and I think the raw heavy vocals complement the tracks really well.

Apocaholic is filled with mostly up-tempo tracks, although there are a few mid-tempo moments as well. I really appreciate the fact that I can actually hear what the lyrics are without having to look them up online and with the energy this band give on album, I’d love to be in the crowd and scream along to the gang vocals that are sprinkled throughout this album. Without having seen this band live I can already hear the energy and the passion through my speakers and I’d expect a great live show from this band.

Old school Thrash

The album starts with Apocaholic and it doesn’t take long for a circlepit riff to enter the stage. Right away the energy is high, and the riffs are tight. It’s not my favorite track of the album, because the lonely bass riffs (in my opinion too short to be called a solo) don’t do much for the track. Velozza quickly redeem themselves with Closing the Border though. This track is exactly what you’d expect from an old-school band like this. Shredding from start to finish. Mental Hijack falls in the same category. Because there is an evil undertone to this track due to the riffs, I enjoy this track even more. Cut the Cord is a midtempo track that has a more groovy feel, but it doesn’t do much for me. I’d rather skip and move on to Heads & Tails, which is again exactly what you’d expect. Just a fun, kickass track with some guitar solo’s in the middle. Talking Shit is one of my favorite tracks on this album, as I love the tight as chugga chugga and the danceable chorus part. It’s just a really happy track. Right after is another of my favorites of this album, Silence is Silver. It shows Velozza in all its glory. Pounding drums, interesting riffs, and guitar solos. There is no God starts off slow and melodic, and is the most melodic track of the album. The album ends with The Gap and while that is again a really straight forward track, it ends rather abruptly, leaving me wanting for more.

Final thoughts

Apocaholic is an entertaining album with professional quality even though they released this album on their own. Velozza set themselves apart from other trash bands by adding a more screaming vocal layer, more in line with the hardcore genre. The album is filled with interesting riffs and clear vocals that get the message across. This album will definitely appeal to old-school trash fans. Not very renewing, but a very listenable release. My favorite track is probably Silence is Silver.