This came out in 2002 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
I have said it before. I will say it again: Like it or not, success in the music biz is often a function of geography.
Case in point: The Velvet Pill. Whether you’re a fan of nü-metal or not — and quite honestly, I usually come down on the not side — you have to admit these guys do it as well as anybody else around on their debut self-titled album. Perhaps even a trifle better at times. Appending their brooding grooves, bruising beats, snapping guitars and soaring vocals with sinister keyboards and electronica inflections, they actually come up with a few tracks that are more adventuresome and less one-dimensional than some of their more famous competitors (though a few more strong choruses and some tighter arrangements wouldn’t hurt, either). If they lived in the U.K., L.A., N.Y.C., or even T.O., they’d likely have a deal and an album video and an opening spot on some package tour. But since they live in Winnipeg, well, we have them all to ourselves. Their loss is a fan’s gain.
