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Millionaire - Paradisiac

A Belgian Queens of the Stone Age with a disco edge? I'm intrigued...

Stoner rock can go badly wrong. The characteristic understated vocals, droning guitars and pounding drums, if not handled correctly, can all mix together into an unpleasant sludge. More so than in any other genre, a band has to really stand out to make any sort of impression. So, do 'Millionaire' do enough to break away from the flock?

Well, they certainly have the credentials - singer guitarist Tim Vanhamel was part of Josh Homme's recent side-project 'Eagles of Death Metal', and the rock icon himself produced this record. Furthermore, they have in the past four years played with Queens, prog-rockers Muse and Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters. Clearly, they have a good reputation within the 'business'. (Although it must be remembered that Tim used to be in a band called 'Sister Poo Poo'...)

However, although this attention will help them to publicise, it will count for very little once they have to stand on their own two feet. So let's get to the crucial point: Their music. The album kicks off in fine style with 'I'm on a High', a storming rock song with a high-flying, melodic chorus. Second track 'A Lust Unmatched' maintains the quality, bouncing along brilliantly; guaranteed to get you nodding your head like an idiot (worked for me).

After a few listens, it becomes quite easy to give an overall synopsis of this record. On the one hand, the quality established in the first songs never really dips, with the exception of the dull and dreary 'Rise and Fall'. The songs are heavy and danceable - an unusual combination - net result: You could both mosh and groove to this LP. Tim's voice goes from haunting to melodic without a moment's notice, and the addition of Aldo Struyf on keyboards gives real diversity to the record. On the other hand, there are few really stand-out tracks and the album has a nasty habit of merging into one, to the extent that, just sometimes, you really can't remember to which song you're listening. I must apologise for bringing Queens of the Stone Age in as comparison again, but it has to be said that they never really had this problem.

A very promising endeavour - but in a genre where Queens of the Stone Age have already set the bar so high, it's going to take double the effort and double the creativity to threaten the kings of stoner rock's dominant position.