Project Description

THE CRUEL INTENTIONS

No Sign of Relief

(Album Review)

Reviewer: Sarah Sykes

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A year ago, I watched Swedish sleaze rockers The Cruel Intentions, early on a Sunday afternoon, turn a crowd of apathetic, mildly hungover sleaze fans into a mass of writhing bodies, surging with energy.Now they’ve released their debut album, No Sign of Relief. Building on the back of the energy of their live performances, it’s a rallying cry, bleeding power and sleaze from start to finish. Prior to the release of No Sign of Relief, the only releases from The Cruel Intentions had been a few one-off singles and live videos. It could appear that No Sign of Relief has come from out of nowhere, but it’s clear the formidable live performances from The Cruel Intentions and their few demos have helped them develop their sound into something unique and powerful.

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There’s not a single ballad on the album and there’s no chance to take a breath for all 35 minutes of it. Lizzy DeVine’s dirty vocals channel Lemmy’s, as much as they do Axl Rose’s. The guitars are raw. Thin enough to balance riffs and solos, thick enough to feel the power of each chord. There’s no slick, squeaky clean production on No Sign of Relief, ensuring the album is just as dirty and an energetic as it needs to be.

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The album begins with ‘Jawbreaker’, a hard driving anthem. Host to a powerful chorus, ending in the chant of ‘all I wanna do is rock ‘n’ roll til I die’, this track is a perfect opener, setting out clearly that The Cruel Intentions aren’t here to fuck around. ‘Reckoning’, the second track continues the album’s blistering pace, boasting another memorable, anthemic chorus.

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‘Genie’s Got a Problem’ is the third track on the album and an interesting one, due to its evolution from a few lines of the song ‘Baby’s Got a Secret’ on Vains of Jenna’s 2006 album Lit Up/Let Down. It’s now a Sex Pistols-esque track that’s over in a mere 2 minutes and 51 seconds, providing a good bridge between the old and new sounds on the album. ‘Weekend Suffering’, ‘Borderline Crazy’ and ‘Sick Adrenaline’ were all previously released as singles, but the versions on No Sign of Relief provide the polishing and production they needed to really shine as tracks that are filled with frustration and energy.

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‘Devilicious’ is probably the most fun track on the album, and an interesting choice for final track. Dancing through the riffs, it’s definite stamp on the end of a stellar album. While No Sign of Relief is just the beginning from the band, it’s clear they’re here to stay with their powerful blend of metal, punk and rock ‘n’ roll.

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No Sign of Relief is an incredibly unique album, because it’s an album that’s got something for everyone – whether you like metal, punk, sleaze metal, hard rock or rock ‘n’ roll, it has it all. It’s fun. It’s addictive. It’s intoxicating. If you love any of those genres, No Sign of Relief  is an album you have got to listen to.

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You can purchase the album from iTunes, Indie Recordings or listen to it on Spotify.

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