Moscow heavy rock trio Starified’s aptly-titled third album Fat Hits is a beast of infectious hooks, propelled by knockout clean vocals from drummer Vadim Ambartsumian, and an unabashed nod to the ’90s grunge scene.
It conjures up an irresistible FM-heavy aura, having you hooked all throughout its 41 minutes of straight-up, energetic rock that harks back to bands as varied as Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, and Orange Goblin.
From the opening bruiser “Scapegoat” through to “Don Loco” and the sans-frills structures of “What If” and “Anti-Rebel,” Fat Hits is clean and sharp in its production, holding its purpose in the songcraft, but isn’t to be taken lightly in terms of performance.
Less “a drummer who sings” than both a drummer and a vocalist, Vadim Ambartsumian casts a significant presence and is forward in the mix, but he, Berezovik, and Shurpakov are all clearly on the same page when it comes to knowing what they want their sound to do, and that would seem to be to engage as many ears as possible.
Check out our premiere of Starified’s Fat Hits, out January 15 on Ripple Music.
Photo courtesy of Starified.
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