Imperial Vipers - Searching, Falling, Silence

Gentlemen! Choose your weapons! My personal choice is a wooden framed Yonex tennis racquet with a long neck – the sort of thing Ivan Lendl used to flourish with alacrity; my Air Guitar Axe! 'Searching, Falling, Silence', the debut album by Imperial Vipers will have you reaching for your own favourite air guitar prop with its heavy riffing rock'n'roll. Whether you call it 'hair metal' or 'cock rock', this is cucumber-in-foil, tight leather trouser stuff. The Vipers try their hand at some other styles here too, but they are definitely at their best on the power chord driven stompers with a finger-tapping guitar solo and punchy feel good attitude. 'Searching, Falling, Silence' is no all time classic but it will certainly keep the metal heads happy in the pit. [Dave Reid]