THE VIOLENT HOUR'S Self-Titled Debut EP Is A Strong Start For The Rock Super Group

BY: Philip Sayblack

The time is near for The Violent Hour.  Yes, that awful pun was intended.  The rock supergroup composed of ex-Butcher Babies vocalist Carle Harvey, her fiancé and Anthrax/Pantera drummer Charlie Benante, and equally famed guitarist John 5, is set to release its self-title debut July 25 through Megaforce Records.  Spanning 23 minutes, the five song record is a solid first outing from the collective.  That is proven through the record’s musical arrangements and its lyrical themes.  The record’s opener and single ‘The Sick Ones’ is just one of the songs that does well to make this clear.  It will be discussed shortly.  ‘Portland, Oregon,’ the record’s midpoint, does just as much to make that clear.  It will be examined a little later.  The record’s title track, which closes out the presentation is also of its own note and will be discussed later, too.  Each song noted here is key in its own way to the whole of the EP.  All things considered they make The Violent Hour easily one of this year’s top new EPs.
The Violent Hour, the forthcoming self-titled EP from the rock super group, is one of the most welcome musical presentations of 2025.  More specifically, it is among the best of this year’s new EPs.  That is proven through its musical and lyrical content.  ‘Sick Ones, the EP’s opener and single, is just one example of that collective strength.  The song’s arrangement is a fiery, up-tempo work that right off the bat, conjures thoughts of Motorhead what with its intense guitar and bass riffs and equally tight drumming.  The addition of Harvey’s vocals add even more to that sense.  At the same time, there is something about the whole that gives the arrangement something of a bigger British metal sense, too.  To that end, the whole is an infectious work that is sure to keep listeners engaged and entertained from the beginning to end of its nearly four-and-a-half-minute body.
The song’s lyrical theme matches the energy in its energy.  The theme in question addresses the familiar topic of those fake, toxic people that make life so miserable for others and having to deal with them.  Harvey makes that clear as she sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Hyprocritic/Narcissistic/Pessimistic/So sadistic/Oh, no soul/Problematic/So dramatic/Gone erratic/manic and delusional/They’re like a poison/Go straight to the vein/Some kind of cancer/They’re bad for the brain/Nothing to lose/Got no conscience or shame/Selling you a lie/So before they drag you down/Cut the sick ones loose/Grab the knife and carve them out/Cut the sick ones loose.”  Again, this is a clear message and a familiar one at that.  The “sick ones” are everywhere, and Harvey is right.  The best thing to do is to cut those people loose; cut them out of our lives. 
She adds in the song’s second verse that those people are “Superficial/Parasitic” that they will “Take it all/Yeah, if you let them/Drain your blood/They’ll tell the world/They’re your best friend/Long as they get the attention/Just because.”  She further adds in the next chorus, “They’ll play the victim/And never take blame/Now you’re the villain at their losing game/Saving your faces with mud on my name/Yeah, it’s all your fault.”  From there she reminds listeners to just cut those people loose.  She is fully right.  Again the vim in these fully accessible and relatable lyrics perfectly matches the fire in the song’s arrangement to make the whole not just a strong start to the EP but an equally solid example of how the record’s overall content makes it so worth hearing.
Another equally notable example of that overall content’s strength comes in the form of the EP’s midpoint, ‘Portland, Oregon.’  Where the musical arrangement featured in ‘The Sick Ones’ is a full-throttle musical and lyrical indictment of those problematic people in people’s lives, ‘Portland, Oregon’ is quite different.  This song’s arrangement instead is more southern rock (yes, southern rock) in its approach right from its outset.  It is such a unique change of sound and style but still so welcome.  What is really interesting here is that almost the first half of the nearly four-minute composition’s body is instrumental.  It is not until more than a minute-and-a-half in that Harvey enters the mix.  Keeping that in mind, the performances by Benante and John 5 in that time and throughout the rest of the song is to be fully commended for the control and general effect.
Moving on to Harvey’s portion of the song, lyrics were unavailable for the song, but from what can be understood, this work seems to be a love song.  This as Harvey and an uncredited vocalist (liner notes were also not provided) sing about a couple meeting in Portland, Oregon.  From what can be inferred, the pair met at a bar in Portland, Oregon and had quite the night.  The light, almost playful approach taken here lyrically, is sure to put a smile on listeners’ faces. This especially as the couple realized the next morning what they had done the previous night.  Keeping that in mind, the catchy, infectious southern rock groove of the song’s arrangement and equally light lyrical content (which is also quite familiar) work together to make the song in whole yet another solid example of how much the EP has to offer listeners musically and lyrically.
The album’s title track, which also serves as its finale, is yet one more example of how much the record has to offer listeners.  The musical arrangement featured herein is yet another change of sound and style, this time being a subdued, contemplative composition, even as it grows from being so controlled to a heavier, hard rock ballad type work.
Lyrically, the song’s seeming theme of someone going from being emotionally torn due to certain situations to being much stronger and “coming alive in the violent hour” matches well with that noted musical presentation.  It comes across as that familiar message of battling so much emotional turmoil.  If in fact that is the message being delivered through Harvey’s metaphorical language, then it is yet another familiar message that is sure to resonate with listeners.  To that end, it would pair with the song’s equally immersive musical arrangement to make the whole yet one more clear example of how this record’s musical and lyrical content collectively make the EP in whole worth hearing.  When everything examined here is considered alongside the rest of the record’s overall content, the whole therein makes The Violent Hour easily one more of this year’s top new EPs.
The Violent Hour, the forthcoming self-titled EP from rock super group The Violent Hour, is a record that is sure to make a place for itself among this year’s new EPs and studio releases from bands in general.  That is proven through the record’s musical and lyrical content, as the songs examined here make clear.  When those songs and the two remaining compositions are considered in whole, they make The Violent Hour well worth hearing and one more of this year’s top new EPs.
The Violent Hour is scheduled for release July 25 via Megaforce Records.  More information on the EP is available along with all of The Violent Hour’s latest news at:


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