The third full album of Victor Sierra and the third I am going to review and this is getting ridiculous. OK, disclaimer, I supported the fundraiser, Victor Sierra is one of my favourite bands (and their song Mastermind is one of my all time favourite songs) and Commander Bob is one of my oldest friends in the Steampunk scene, but, when I listen to an album, I do my best to be honest.
So, here we go:
Go for the Strange picks up where Yesterday’s Tomorrow ended. The albums are not topically connected, but when you listen to one and then to the other, it is like one smooth transition from one classic to the next.
Again, the album is multilingual, again, Victor Sierra’s very own style is instantly recognizable, and with instantly recognizable I mean:
Unquiet Days, the first track, starts with an industrial stomping like the pistons of an airship engine followed, then a harmonica joins in and lays a tune like you only find it on Victor Sierra albums. So, after 10 seconds, Go for the Strange had its first magical moment and I was hooked. The song itself really stresses the Punk in Steampunk and addresses several issues in our society today.
The next one The Fall of the Airship Solitaria, goes into a completely different direction. The crew goes into “Full In-Character Mode”, introduces themselves to the listener as the personas they take on their airship The Hydrogen Queen, then they proceed to tell a story from the world the Hydrogen Queen is cruising in.
OK, before I get into details for every song, I rather stop here. I think if I tell you what to expect from the song, I might set you up for something you do not expect, because listening to music is an interactive experience. You may well receive a song differently from how I received it. It may well trigger different images in your mind than it in mine.
Go for the Strange is another grandiose album, it delivers everything I expected from Victor Sierra and adds something on top. I particularly enjoyed the songs that tell the stories from their Steampunk universe and then there is this jewel that made it straight into my All Time Favorite List:
The Shadow Company
The song is another one from the punk side of Steampunk, as far as its message is concerned. A motivational piece to do things your way.
“If you feel your future is made of stone, just get up and leave your comfort zone.”
Your life is your hand!
Overall, there is less variation in musical styles than in Yesterday’s Tomorrow but Go For the Strange makes up for this by packing a lot of energy and more drive. This is a very energetic album in deed. The Hydrogen Queen is going full steam ahead.
Linguistic variation is significant once more with lyrics in English, French and Spanish. I really regret that my knowledge of French has deteriorated to the point that I do not understand what Atlantis (track 9) is all about, but that is my problem, not Victor Sierra’s.
To sum up: Victor Sierra have delivered another outstanding album, their best to date, I think. Let’s hope it will put them in the spotlight and give them the popularity in the Steampunk scene they truly deserve!
Go For The Strange gets 10/10 Zeppelins and the badge of honour!
You can find Victor Sierra (and the album) here:
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