Vennart – “Don’t Forget The Joker”

Vennart – “Don’t Forget The Joker”

The Demon Joke is the debut album from former Oceansize frontman Mike Vennart; it’s not out till next month, but I find myself prematurely, preemptively frustrated by the reception I’m expecting it to receive in America. Oceansize were an excellent British band that never got much attention over here, and I imagine the same will be true of The Demon Joke. It’s (going to be) an outrage! I’m here to do my part, though: The Demon Joke is one of my favorite albums of 2015; it’s a torrent of narcotic aural bliss — there’s almost not a single note that fails to hit one (or more) of my pleasure receptors. I wrote a bunch about Vennart, the new album, and the first single, “Operate,” when that came out a few weeks ago, and today, he’s released another one, “Don’t Forget The Joker,” which is probably the record’s most operatic number (Vennart’s voice here occasionally recalls Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson or Axl Rose circa Use Your Illusion; both comparisons are intended as high compliments). I’m not sure there’s any one track on The Demon Joke that adequately represents the whole thing, and I strongly urge you to listen to the whole thing when it’s available, because it’s fantastic. For now, though, you can listen to this.

Vennart’s The Demon Joke is out 6/22 via Superball Music.

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