V Is For Villains - Villains Never Die! (2022 Remastered Edition Album Review)

Our dear friends, Chicago based industrial pop band V Is For Villains, just remastered and re-released their 2019 album "Villains Never Die", and wow am I totally blown away by it! This has been one of my go-to albums for awhile now, and when I was told it was being remastered, I couldn't possibly imagine that there was anything Mr.Agitator could do to make it better. Boy was I wrong! This took an already masterpiece and made it so much more dynamic and exciting and clear! While it's like that across the board, it's especially prevalent in a few tracks.

In "Immigrant Song" and also "Villains Never Die", you can hear so much more of what's going on. The original tracks are a little fuzzy and muddy, which I'd thought was intentional, but the remaster is so much more clear. I can pick out so many more layers of the sound! Even the vocals sound more clear, and mixed in a way that they stand out more. In "Villains Never Die" especially in the lines that lead up to the chorus.

Now on to "Sad Hit Song", which honestly I feel like I'm experiencing for the first time! Holy shit! All the layered vocals sound so much more harmonious, and I can pick out some individual voices that I couldn't before. During the "I sold my soul, embraced the lie..." section, there's some high chiming type sounds that are so much more accentuated and clearly defined notes than they originally were. The snapping of the fingers halfway through is also much more prevalent and defined.

Throughout the album, there's this slightly different echo type effect on Mr.Agitator's vocals that stands out from the originals, and it sounds so much smoother in a way. This is extra noticeable on "Your Older Sister". That song also like the others I'm able to hear so much more in it. It's incredible!

"A Violet Shade" sounds a lot more balanced. While some sounds drowned out others, I feel like the entire track is more readable and able to hear everything equally.

Now to address the Pink Elephant in the room, or lack thereof, I was a little sad that "Pink Elephants On Parade" wasn't included in this re-release, but we do get a new instrumental track, which I absolutely love! "The Quiet Plague" is so heavy aggressive and chaotic and almost sounds like it's coming out of Mr.Agitator's Digital Mindy days. It's very different than the rest of the album, but it fits so well, and it really pumps you up and leaves you wanting more!

Speaking of more, soon we'll be getting "Steal The 80's" from V Is For Villains, an album entirely comprised of 80's covers. I am so excited for the release! It's going to be absolutely epic! Make sure you pre-order a copy if you haven't yet, it's going to be something special. If you don't know who this band is I'm geeking out about, go give them a listen, see if they're coming to a city near you, and be a Villain, they do not die! ~Gangis

Preorder link for Steal The 80's : https://v-is-for-villains.square.site/product/v-is-for-villains-steal-the-80-s-volume-1-pre-order/55?cs=true&cst=custom

Image credit: Album cover for "Villains Never Die!" by V Is For Villains, Copyright 2021 V Is For Villains/Villains Inc.